Of Hoops and Holists
by SamKo
Summary: Steven had left more than just a Pokéball and a letter. ORASverse. Direct sequel following Delta Episode. Follows multiverse theory.
1. Of Hoops

EDIT 6/29/16: Did some cleaning with typos and readability and author's notes.

Welcome to Of _Hoops and Holists!_ If you are finding this story after midnight, please only read a chapter or two, and then go to bed. You will not finish this in one go, or rather, you'll probably enjoy the story more if you don't stay up all night reading it. I want you to be conscious for this story. There are lots of references and recurring themes, and if you're too tired, you might not be able to pick up on them all. Read this story when you're well-rested.

A link to my Pokémon protagonist ages disclaimer can be found in my profile, if that's something that concerns you before reading this story. The short-hand version is: I personally don't care for specifically writing about ages because I like to think that most fans have their own headcanons about their ages, but I do my best to depict May as a young adult. I also have no affiliation with the Pokémon Company, Gamefreak, or Nintendo.

Without further ado, please enjoy _Of Hoops and Holists!_

* * *

_A letter, and a pokeball?!_

_Really?!_

May walked back to the front door and turned the lock, turned her back to he door, and slunk down. She owed him at least that much, she supposed, and no one needed to see her in his home, in this sad and sorry condition. The pokéball tight in her hands and her legs pulled up to her chest, she pressed the pokéball to her forehead, and shed a tear. May almost felt as though she didn't have a reason to be sad, but she felt cheated. Steven had said to meet back up at his place at some point because he had something for her. Because of that, she had an expectation of actually meeting up, not finding a pokéball and a letter, and a letter with much ambiguity, at that. She guessed she should check and see what Pokémon was waiting for her, but right now, she had too many feelings to unpackage before doing anything else. Where the hell had he gone? Why did he leave? Why couldn't he say goodbye properly? Why did he have to leave a letter that felt purposefully dubious as if he didn't want to be found? If May didn't know any better, she'd say this was a Dear John letter, essentially. Or at least, sitting here on his floor, letter in hand, that's what this felt like.

She set the pokéball down at her side and lifted her head up, looking around his front room. Steven had barely lived here to begin with. Aside from his fantastical stone collection, he lived quite plainly. For someone who had so many adventures and was so passionate about exploring, the only mementos he kept were stones. No pictures, or souvenirs of other kinds, just stones. Maybe it was typical, then, that he was so easily capable of just flying off and away (probably literally with Latios or Skarmory) and living off of the land wherever he pleased. It wasn't like this house was really a home. It was an address, a place to claim residency, so for the public he could "stay on the map" when really, he was doing the complete opposite. Steven was almost never in the same place for long. Money was never an issue either, after all, when your father was the head of the most successful company of technological advances in Hoenn. He could freely come and go whenever and wherever he wished.

But the last time that they had talked, Steven seemed to have made it clear that he wasn't going to take off right away. But just what was it that he had said? He had babbled a bit about wanting to see the world, to walk it with his own two feet. May sort of figured he had been speaking purely hypotheticals and aspirations, not actual plans that he would act upon. And again, May was under the impression that she had mattered on _some_ level, that there was something they had to talk about, that Steven had something important to share with her.

Well, obviously not important enough that he couldn't wait to share it in person. No, of course not. She had a key to his place, "for emergency purposes," and after all of the gifts he shared with her after almost every time they ran into each other, and everything they had been through together with the eco-terrorists threatening Hoenn and the whole episode with Rayquaza and Deoxys, of course she thought they were some whole other level of relationship that definitely beat out "acquaintance."

Tilting her head to the side with a bittersweet smile and with salty tears still lacing her eyes, May stared at the pokéball in her hands. "Well, I guess we should meet, huh?" she whispered hoarsely at the ball, and opened it away from her body. From the red light appeared a small baby Beldum, clearly very young by its size. It spun its body around a few times, taking in its surroundings, before turning to face May, its red eye widening at the sight of its new trainer. May smiled a little wider this time and couldn't help but giggle ever so slightly, but bitterly, at the fact that Steven had in fact given her a Pokémon from his favorite evolutionary line.

The Beldum hovered right up into her lap and lowered itself in, and May felt something cold fall into her lap. Beldum hovered up and away from May, this time spinning and swaying from side to side with its eye shut in bliss.

May's brow furrowed, and she looked down into her lap. There sat a rectangular piece of metal, May was unsure of what kind, no bigger than a standard notebook. Using both hands, she picked it up, and began to examine. She knew that some Pokémon were able to extract special powers and abilities out of certain artifacts, even strange items that she would've otherwise mistaken as garbage had it not been for her Pokémon's strange attraction and intuition for them. She still didn't understand why her Swampert insisted on collecting sand from a certain area of the beach near Slateport City, but for whatever reason, it always made its Earthquakes that much more powerful, so she didn't question it anymore.

After flipping the sheet of metal over, she noticed some faint engravings. Sniffling her nose one more long hard time, she wiped her eyes with her arm, and squinted to attempt to read the faded writing.

_"When the universe was created, its shards became this Plate."_

So the object was a plate, then.

_The universe?_

May stared at the artifact, unsure of what to make of it. Her new Beldum was now hovering about the room, inspecting its surroundings. Beldum had certainly dropped the plate in her lap, which was for sure not an accident or a coincidence. The Pokémon seemed to have done so intentionally. What was she supposed to interpret from this plate? This plate was created from shards of the universe? That seemed pretty _big_.

May smirked. She wasn't crying anymore. No way. This plate smelled like adventure. Steven had just given her a piece of the puzzle, but gave himself head start! So May wins the championship, and then suddenly Steven is deserving of a handicap on their next journey? Sniffling a little bit, and content with her personal explanation for this entire stunt, May softly giggled to herself, and finally lifted herself from the floor.

So where to start first? Was it possible that Steven would have hinted to someone else about where he was headed first? Perhaps he had gone to his father, or Wallace? Or maybe she needed to go somewhere or find someone who could interpret this new plate she had, so she could have some kind of footing of where to start exploring. She could always start at the Space Center since she was in Mossdeep. It didn't seem to have any connection to space, necessarily, but she really had no clue, and there certainly were many highly educated people there that might know about potential lore surrounding this encrypted plate.

She had just received an upgrade to her Pokénav to make calls, so she figured she might as well try calling around before going anywhere. May pulled her Pokénav out of her bag, and decided she'd try calling Wallace, first. Steven was probably out of the Pokénav's range, wherever he was, but she knew Wallace would still be in Hoenn, in Sootopolis at the gym. Wallace seemed like a good place to start. They were best friends, after all, right? Maybe Steven would've gone to him at some point before he left, and May knew she could squeeze information out of him, if need be.

It barely rang once before she got an answer. "Hello, May?"

"Hey, Wallace!"

"Wow, May, good to hear from you! It's been awhile! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

May paused. Just what was she asking again? How did she word this? "I was wondering…if you've heard from Steven recently?"

A small chuckle was heard, and May didn't know what to think of it. Why was that funny? "Ah yes, it's actually a remarkable coincidence that you brought him up. Where are you now? He went to the Battle Resort looking for you. I believe he has _another_ gift for you. I swear, it seems like he's got something new for you every other week, don't you feel smothered?"

Really, _that_ was the word he was going to use? _Smothered_?

_Wait_.

Steven was still in _Hoenn_?

Steven had been _looking_ for her?

May wracked her brain. She knew she was bad with time, but had she lost track of things that much? May had been fairly certain that Steven had said to stop by whenever, so she hadn't expected him to just take off, but… _Shit_. Did she just over-react immensely? Was this all her fault for being too wrapped up in her own undertakings to be cognizant of Steven's time? She often forgot that even though he was her superior for a while throughout her journey, that didn't make him any less of a Pokémon trainer or traveling heart. They were too alike in that aspect, both wanderlusting across Hoenn, it truly having to be coincidence that they crossed each others' paths so remarkably often.

"May?"

_Oops_. "Yeah, sorry. The Battle Resort?"

May heard another slight chuckle. "Yes, dear. Was there anything else you needed?"

"Actually," May continued, realizing there was something else she could ask him. "Steven left an artifact for me, here at his house. It's a sheet of metal, and it has this engraved message on it, "_When the universe was created, its shards became this Plate." _Do you know anything about it?"

"Ooo," Wallace cooed, almost immediately after May finished, "So, Steven managed to acquire the Iron Plate? _And_ he gave it to you? Again, _gift_ after _gift_."

May cleared her throat in annoyance, "Iron Plate?"

"Yes. I once had one quite similar to it called the Splash Plate, but I lost it about a year ago to a friend of mine in Kalos…"

Okay, this was good, Wallace seemed to know a little more than she had expected. "Splash Plate?"

"Ah, yes. My Pokémon really seemed to gravitate toward it. There was definitely some sort of attraction, a _longing_ even, to have the Splash Plate. My Ludicolo joyously wrangled it from the captain of a cruise I ventured on long ago. We made proper negotiations after that, of course, but, st-ll, my Lu-co-o s-re -med to l-"

"Wallace?"

"M-y? –n y- -ear m-"

Wallace's voice kept cutting in and out until it eventually faded into static. May pulled her Pokénav away from her head to look at it, only to see all the screens covered in black and white nonsense. That was odd. The Pokénav hardly ever acted up, and May couldn't recall many other times it had malfunctioned. In fact, it was reacting the same way it had when she was deep in the Cave of Origin all those months ago.

May shrugged and pocketed the Pokénav. It was probably just buggy because it was the first time she tried using the calling functionality that was recently installed in her version of the system. She could always fly to Rustboro and get the Devon Corps to look at it, whenever she wanted. She also wanted to visit Wallace and talk more about these plates. He sounded like he still had more to share about what he knew of them.

But first, she needed to touch base with Steven. She needed to thank him for the Beldum, find out where he found the Iron Plate, why he _gave_ it to her, and most _importantly_, apologize.

Her new baby Beldum was still flying around the house happily. It looked so vibrant and just happy to be alive. May smirked and knew this Pokémon would be an excellent addition to her team, she could already tell.

"Alright, Bellamy, time to get on the road!" May exclaimed, recalling the baby Beldum into its pokéball.

At least, May thought that they were going to be getting on the road.

As soon as May stepped outside of Steven's house, it was impossible to not notice the current scenario. The island was in chaos. It appeared as though everyone was out of their homes, frantically approaching one another with question after question, and no answers.

"Did you see the sky disappear?"

"Did a Pokémon do this?"

"I missed it, what happened?"

"It was like night for a few seconds!"

"Except there were no stars! The whole island was covered in deep purple!"

"Where did Shoal Cave go?"

May started to walk around. Mossdeep was covered in purple? Shoal Cave was nowhere in sight? What had happened here? As she continued to walk the island, she tried to listen in to some more conversations hoping to hear some more pieces of the chaos without directly jumping into a conversation. That is, until she distantly heard a more than familiar, yet frantic, voice, and stopped in her tracks.

"May?"

Like clockwork, May flipped around, and saw Steven running toward her from the Pokémon Center. He looked as composed and princely as ever, though his current belongings depicted that he'd been on the road, with his enormous backpack on his shoulders. His outfit was on-point as ever, but his backpack looked a little worse for wear.

"Steven?" May choked out in response. She definitely hadn't planned on seeing him already. She was going to plan out an apology while she flew to the Battle Resort, which she'd deliver when she ran into him on the beach somewhere. They'd hash out their misunderstandings at each other and eventually settle it with a battle, and maybe take up the multi-battle challenge together after they got everything figured out…

**"I'm sorry."** They both blurted at each other, stereotypically at the same time. The two then looked shocked, and May was the first one to speak next.

"No, we can catch up on all of that later," she said, recognizing there was something bigger than the both of them happening at the moment, "I think we have something else to focus on right now." At these words, Steven's face immediately changed to one of understanding and agreement.

"As per usual, you're on top and cognizant of the dilemma on hand. You're right. Let's get back to my place," Steven said, starting to lead, but then quickly added, "I promise we'll talk, about _everything_, but you need to let me explain the here and now situation."

Talk about _everything_? If Mossdeep wasn't blatantly going through a crisis, that statement would have made May's heart skip a beat, especially just the way he _said_ it. To say that in addition to what was currently happening, had implications of Steven needing to discuss other things. But then May remembered that Wallace _had_ said he was looking for her at the Battle Resort. And there still was the Iron Plate. They actually did have quite a few things to discuss, May realized.

Just as May and Steven stepped into his house, they faintly heard, "Wait, there's Champions May and Steven!"

Steven poked his head out of the door, holding it almost shut, and called out, "We're having an emergency conference. I promise we will come back out and make an announcement as soon as a plan of action is reached." And with that, he swiftly closed and locked the door. May was thankful for that. She had never been good at deterring crowds and fans, while Steven seemed to have a natural knack for it.

"Well, I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone spotted us," Steven grumbled, "and it's only a matter of time before we'll have to go back out."

A few seconds passed, and Steven started by setting his backpack on the main table of his living room. Then, May's heart got caught in her throat. Steven was looking at his letter that still sat at the table, which was now an ugly sheet, completely ruined from being crumpled, and words smudged from tears.

Steven half-turned towards May, the letter in one hand and his other hand immediately behind his neck. "I see you got the Beldum I left for you…" he said, very monotonously, head downcast, all to May's alarm. Sure, the island was in chaos, but it felt like she needed to express some feelings now and just be honest.

"I…got caught up in myself," May started. What kind of way to start was that? "Your letter…it was really ambiguous, you made it sound like you left for good."

Steven's lips visibly pressed tightly together, and he stepped toward his kitchenette. "I definitely intended to be on the road for awhile, but certainly not for good. Hoenn is my home." He pulled out two glasses, set them on the counter, and reached into his freezer. "Can I get you something to drink? I'm not particularly certain, but I have a notion that you've had a day not too far off from my own."

May sighed, and walked toward the table to have a seat. Steven clearly was not sharing something with her, and that certainly made her anxious. However, here she was, invited into his home, sitting at his table. Sure, she could denote that to the current state of affairs of Mossdeep and the undoubtedly important roll they were about to play in its potential outcome, but she could not relate that to him offering her a drink. That being said, his tone of voice gave her the hint that being open and honest about feelings would have to come at a later time.

Before she could accept the offer, May saw that Steven had already begun pouring whiskey into both glasses. However, what May hadn't noticed, was whatever Steven had pulled out of his freezer. May squinted at the glasses on the counter, and when Steven had turned around to bring both glasses to the table, May was able to more clearly see what was at the bottom of the drinks.

"No _way_…Steven, are those _rocks_ in the whiskey? Did you take rocks out of your freezer and put them in whiskey?" Despite their previously less than utmost pleasant exchange, May couldn't help but stifle a giggle.

It was apparent that Steven was annoyed, but tried to be patient, as that was what he often found himself doing when others didn't understand his hobby and profession. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed, then said, "They're hornblende biotite granite, from the Rock Tunnel in the Kanto Region. And, as you can see, they've been polished appropriately. _And,_ they're an excellent way to keep your drink cold without watering it down." Steven then sighed again, recollecting himself after recognizing that he was about to go into a full tangent, and sat down corner-side from May. "But enough about my _rocks_," he said, May not being able to tell just what feelings were implied by his emphasis on the word _rocks_, "we need to get down to business. Did you experience what happened outside?"

"No…" May muttered, glancing again at the letter on the table, and a hand voluntarily going to the new pokéball on her belt, "but, there was something odd, now that I'm thinking about it." May remembered now. "Before I left your house and experienced the commotion outside, I was on the phone with Wallace. His voice began to cut out, and before I knew it, the call was completely cut by static. When I looked down at my Pokénav, it looked just like how it had when I was in the Cave of Origin when everything was going down."

After taking a sip, Steven softly hummed and said, "So you're thinking the sudden cut in transmission may be linked to whatever occurrence happened here…" Steven mulled out loud. "It's more than likely. The Pokénav hardly completely cuts out of service. Even if it's out of service range, some of the channels still have basic levels of functionality. When you were in the Cave of Origin, it likely cut out due to the intense amounts of energy being exhibited at that time. Today was likely similar."

"Were you outside?" May then asked.

"Yes," Steven answered, after taking another sip. "Or at least, I caught a glimpse of it. I had been in the Pokémon Center, but rushed outside when people began to speak of the sky disappearing, and purple engulfing Mossdeep. By the time I stepped outside, it was like waking up from an absurd dream abruptly, because of the shift from darkness to light."

"This all sounds so absurd…" May muttered, just looking at her drink, not having tasted it yet. She didn't typically drink whiskey, nor did she particularly drink very often, but she was beginning to feel she should indulge just a tad in order to take the edge off of this strange reality unfolding before them. "Do you think a Pokémon did this? What else could possibly be going on?"

Steven sighed again, and leaned back in his chair. He sure was doing a lot of sighing this late afternoon, but May supposed he really couldn't help it. "I have my suspicions. And I've only heard rumors, but…"

In the natural gap that Steven took to process what he was going to say next, there was a firm knock at the front door. Steven sighed once more, and got up from his seat to answer the knocking. As he cracked the door and began to open it wider, he already began to speak, saying, "I'm sorry, but May and I are still conferencing, so if you could…"

But before he could finish, the door was fully opened outwardly out of Steven's hand. When Steven finished looking shocked and offended, he realized who was standing before him. Dressed sharply in khakis, a red dress shirt, white sweater-vest, white fedora, and holding himself with a cane, Steven knew exactly who the man was.

"Blaine?"

"I'm bemused you remember me, Steven," the man said, showing a wicked half smirk. "You haven't seen me since you were a wee tyke, dragged along to Cinnabar Island for one of your father's business meetings."

It was Steven's turn to give a shy smile, replying, "It's difficult to forget someone whom you regard as a huge inspiration." Steven then stepped inside and aside, holding the door open. "Please, come in. This is May Maple, the most recent Champion of Hoenn."

"Ah yes," Blaine said, promptly walking to the table despite his cane and taking a seat, "I've heard much about the new Champion. It's a pleasure to meet you."

May simply smiled and nodded, a blush creeping onto her face. She was embarrassed and a touch bewildered. There was too much suddenly going on. Now this man she's never even heard of before was invited into Steven's home, and he had called him an inspiration. Just who was he?

And as if reading her mind, when Steven sat down again, he said, "This is Blaine, the Gym Leader of Cinnabar Island in Kanto. He's also a well-published scientist in the fields of Pokémon genetics and the revival of ancient Pokémon using well-preserved fossils. He and my father have done much business together."

Blaine heavily blew air out of his nose, and retorted, "You flatter me too much. Sonny, you need to start publishing your own findings, you know, with all of that field work you've been up to as of late."

Steven blushed mildly, and a small smile formed on his lips. "Yes, yes, I'm getting to it. But I've been caught up in a lot of other hiccups lately. Which brings me to my next point. What brings you here to Hoenn, Blaine? It's not exactly a hop, skip, and a jump."

Blaine took a deep breath, crossed his arms, and leaned back in his chair. "Steven, I'm actually here to ask what brings you to Kanto."

There was a pregnant silence, and both May and Steven's eyes widened in alarm at Blaine's words. May immediately began to wonder just how old Blaine was, that he would say something so bizarre. They had been sitting in Steven's home this entire time. They were certainly in Mossdeep, in Hoenn.

"Blaine…" Steven said cautiously, "I'm afraid you need to elaborate."

Blaine huffed again, shifted in his chair, and said, "Your island of Mossdeep: it's between Cinnabar Island and the Seafoam Islands."


	2. Amnesia

Understanding that the flabbergasted looks on the young adults' faces were a response of disbelief, Blaine slowly stood up, and headed back toward the door. May gently turned her head toward Steven as if he'd have some kind of an answer for the elderly man's behavior, but his expression illustrated that he was just as clueless.

Once Blaine got to the door, he pushed it open, and instead of leaving, stood with his back propping the door open, with one hand up towards outside Steven's home and the other holding himself up with his cane.

"Come," he grunted, clearly not budging from his spot.

May immediately got up, and Steven stumbled at first in attempt to relieve himself of the chair, but followed suit. The two tailed the elderly gym leader down to the beach, and upon looking in the direction that Blaine stood, their questions were answered. Albeit in the distance, May could faintly see an island with puffs of smoke rising from it, and it was definitely closer than Mt. Chimney could have been.

Upon further inspection, May noticed some shellfish Pokémon in the shallows of the shore. Not recognizing it, she almost voluntarily out of habit pulled out her Pokédex, and scanned the group of Pokémon on the beach.

"These are Kanto native Shellder…" May muttered under breath, pocketing the technology almost without even realizing it.

"As you can see," Blaine spoke in response to May, "that island in the distance is Cinnabar Island, where I call home. The local Pokémon seem to be reacting to the phenomenon…" Blaine uttered, still looking out at Cinnabar Island in the distance. They could see a flock of Pidgey and Pidgeotto flying through the sky and circling and swarming over the shore. A school of Goldeen emerged and bobbed fervently in nearby waters. "Upon the arrival of your island of Mossdeep," Blaine continued, "the currents surrounding Cinnabar and the Seafoam Islands all shifted, and all of our ocean-life started behaving oddly, rising to the surface in schools and traveling in peculiar patterns."

"It seems the number of Pokémon coming to investigate Mossdeep is rapidly increasing as well," Steven muttered, bringing a fist to his mouth in thought as they all continued to observe the influx of Pokémon venturing toward the shore.

Blaine expanded a pokéball from his breast pocket, and revealed a Talonflame. "I think I've seen just about enough to report back to the League. I advise that the two of you stay on the island, maybe do some looking around, make sure nothing is out of place?"

"Yes, in fact," Steven spoke up, a little more decisiveness back in his voice, "we'll go to the Space Station. Perhaps they picked up some kind of reading during the movement of Mossdeep. It might not be _the_ answer, but it's certainly a place for us to start, considering the recent happenstances we've encountered in regards to Pokémon from space in Hoenn."

Blaine made a noise something of a snort in agreement, his mustache whiskers twitching, and commented, "Yes, I heard much about those recent happenings and your hero here, May…" He then mounted his Talonflame. "I'll take my leave now. Let's stay in touch. I'll report back to you of what the League has to say about all of this, and if they have any potential insight. Beyond this being a potential disaster, I'm quite fascinated by this whole ordeal, especially if it involves Pokémon." And with that, Blaine flew off on his Talonflame.

May and Steven turned to leave the beach and walk back to the Space Center, but as they were walking, their feet were immediately washed over with a warm wave, and it didn't seem to be stopping. The moment May turned back around in curiosity to see the water, the sky suddenly disappeared, and was replaced with an eerie deep purple, and she haphazardly grabbed Steven's sleeve in response. He started to vocalize her name, but was cut off by his own surprise at the visible transition. The distant ranting of the island was silenced. In actuality, all sound of the island was suppressed in that stilled moment. The ocean was also gone, and the eerie purple void completely surrounded the island. There was no smell of salty air, no feeling of the gentle ocean-side breeze. Then, in the blink of an eye, the sky returned, the waves of the ocean crashed on the shore, and a flock of Wingull could be seen in the distance.

As if frozen in place, the two of them were stopped in their tracks, and it seemed neither were particularly sure of what to do next. The gentle sounds of the waves on the sand and the ocean air resumed as if the island had never left. A chorus of concerns quickly filled the air once again after this returning of the island back to its original location.

Finally letting go of Steven's sleeve, May started to turn back toward Mossdeep, and over her shoulder started to say, "We should really get to the Spa-"

"No, there's somewhere else I want to investigate," Steven interrupted, bringing a fist to his chin in thought, "and you need to come with me."

Had May heard him correctly? She immediately spun on her heal to look back at him in shock. "Excuse me?" she rebutted in disbelief, her brows furrowing. "And where do we _need_ to go, exactly? We _need_ to see if the Space Center picked up anything unusual after what just happened! They might have caught traces of a Pokémon!"

Even though May was trying to counter-argue, Steven had already pulled out his Eon Flute, and Latios was already on his way.

"Seriously?" May asked with distress, her voice clearly growing more agitated. "Do I not get any kind of explanation? Or any consideration in our joint decision making process, since you're making it clear that this is now our _joint_ effort and project…" She tried to make sure she put extra emphasis on the word joint, because she wanted to make sure that Steven was aware that he just _told_ her what they were about to do _together_. She wasn't exactly ready for that, nor was that typically like Steven, as he was usually so thorough about his explanations.

Steven began to mount Latios, saying, "I recognize that we have both become incredibly accustomed to being in the limelight and guiding Hoenn to safety and clarity. For that reason, I find it in our best interest to inspect another location at this time," and pausing to reach a welcoming hand toward the bewildered May, finished by saying, "_before_ interacting with anyone else."

Her heart skipping a beat, May eyed him sternly, unsure of her next move. She wanted to stand her ground, but she also wanted to put her faith in Steven. Besides the whole disappearing thing, he had never done anything to lose her trust. She took his hand and huffed as she hopped on Latios behind him, "You're still being really vague, you know…"

As Latios rose from the ground for flight, May held tight to Steven around his torso and could feel him take a deep breath, followed by an unrestricted sigh. He tucked his head into his left shoulder in an attempt to turn towards May, and said, "My apologies. My intention is not to frustrate you, May. This will all simply be easier to talk about if my hypothesis about something is true."

Trying to take his words carefully but failing, May retorted almost immediately, "If _something_ is true?" May found herself squeezing a little tighter, and murmured into his back, "You're still being so vague, but I almost don't care because you do it so persuasively. You're always so damn well spoken, you know?"

Steven then found himself feeling in luck that May was behind him on this ride, because thinking about her last statement caused a blush of embarrassment to creep upon his face. Steven had always prided himself in his eloquent speaking, but did she think he sounded…funny? Not that that should matter, of course. He liked the way in which he spoke, why should May change that?

"May, try to look around me, ahead of us," Steven asked of her, now finding himself becoming hyper aware of the type of language he used, "Do you see what I see?"'

At this point, nothing particularly startled May anymore, and she saw exactly what Steven was talking about, "You mean that forested island just to the south of Pacifidlog? Yeah, I see it. I take it that's our destination?"

"You are correct."

Even though Steven couldn't see it, May scrunched her face up, "You know, a 'you got it' would be way more appropriate to say to me."

Although Steven wanted to contemplate what May meant by that last statement, Latios was quickly approaching the transcontinental island, and the two were bracing themselves for their landing.

The island was absolutely beautiful. Just as they landed, a flock of Xatu broke the calm and flew out of some nearby tall grass. A group of Audino were basking in the sun and making each other flower crowns in a small clearing There seemed to be a large cratered mound toward the center of the island, but it was surrounded by luscious green foliage, and the sounds of Pokémon surrounded them.

"So this…" May started, trying to take in her surroundings the best she could, as she and Steven slowly stepped forward, observing their new surroundings, "is just like what happened to Mossdeep?"

"That's what I'm predicting, for now," Steven responded. "And this isn't the first, or the only island like this that's materialized up like this along these seas."

May eyed him suspiciously. "So you're saying that there have been other islands, and you've known about these phenomena?" she asked skeptically. "Entire islands have been appearing in Hoenn…"

"I'm actually quite surprised that you hadn't noticed any of them, May," Steven commentated flatly.

May visibly blushed. "Things were kind of rough for awhile. I've been taking it easy at the Battle Resort, alright?"

"Ah yes, I forgot that you had made promises to chum it up with ex-eco-terrorists."

Steven knew he had messed up with that line. That was completely unlike him, too, to snap out in such a snarky manner. May's face was no better, either, and Steven knew that any attempt at retracting the statement would be futile. But the thought of her actively enjoying and engaging the presence of the buffoons they once knew as dangerous enemies certainly annoyed him, at the very least.

However, May didn't lash out, or even react outwardly right away at all, actually. She brought both hands together in front of her, and cast her eyes down. "I'm sorry I didn't come to your house right away," she said softly and slowly, "I guess I lost track of time."

His face immediately softening, Steven realized where his jut comment positioned May, and he instantly regretted it. "And I lost track of the days, as well," Steven added, not sure quite where to place his eyes. If May had been mad, then that would've been easier. But she wasn't, and she was being very docile about the whole ordeal, how they somehow came to losing touch with each other. "I'm not mad, you know," he added meekly, "I was certainly a little frustrated, yes, but definitely not mad."

May realized she had been chewing on one of her cheeks out of nervous habit, and she immediately stopped once she recognized what she was doing. Taking a deep breath and a moment to look around at their surroundings, May gave herself confirmation that this island really was scenic. The plants and Pokémon were clearly not native to Hoenn, that much at least was for sure. Noticing that her attention was now elsewhere, Steven said, "Well, would you like to see around the island? There are a couple of areas I'd like to take some time inspecting."

"So you've been to this island before?"

"Yes, and a few other islands that have appeared," Steven answered, starting to clear a path for them with his hand in the tall grass to lead the way, "they have all had Pokémon distinctly from other regions, and I've found a few artifacts certainly worth noting. For instance, on this island, I found various fossils of Pokémon that were once native to other regions, but certainly not native to Hoenn."

May followed him into the brush, and took his hand when he offered it to ascend a rockier area. It appeared that they were climbing and navigating through parts of the island leading them to the center of the craterous mound. So, Steven had been exploring islands like this all across the ocean routes, and collecting anything interesting that he found. May came to a bit of a conclusion based on what Steven just said.

"So…did you find the Iron Plate you gave me on one of these islands?"

"Ah, yes," Steven responded hastily, with an odd inflection in his voice, "isn't it fascinating? However, again, that plate and others similar are most likely not originally from Hoenn and in fact, many of them, to my knowledge and speculation, are from Sinnoh."

Steven outstretched his arm once more to lead May up a few more rocky steep steps, as they were just about done ascending the hill. May almost rolled her eyes at Steven's guidance, but she forced herself to brush it off, knowing that, regardless of just quite how Steven felt about her, she knew he wouldn't take her anywhere without making sure that she was cared for, despite knowing that she could completely hold her own.

"I appreciate the support," May began, still holding Steven's hand as she made her footing in the stony elevation, "but I did ride a 23 foot dragon into space."

Steven tilted his head to the side with a somber smile and firmly assisted May up the last bit of rockiness to the level terrain and said, "My last intention is to belittle you, _hero to Hoenn and Champion,_ _May_. I hope that you can forgive my desire to continue to guide you." He squeezed May's hand before letting go and emitted a small, almost sad-sounding chuckle, then followed with, "Old habit, I suppose."

May eyed him questionably at first, but acknowledging that they were at the top of the island, took a moment to observe the land around them instead. The crater was full of lava, but it didn't appear to be very active or a threat. The island wasn't terribly large, but it was clear that life was still thriving on it regardless.

"Should we be staying here terribly long?" May asked, reminding herself of recent events, "Are we going to disappear with this island at any moment?"

Steven tilted his head up, and crunched his forehead in thought. "You know, Mossdeep is the first time I had actually been on an island while it was transported," he replied curtily. "I can't be sure, but somehow, I doubt it."

"Well then, in that case," May spoke cautiously, realizing she was losing her train of thought thanks to the heat she found invading her face. They were standing right next to a pit of lava, after all. She bravely continued, "Can we stay here for awhile? Can we catch up? This island is gorgeous, and it sounds like you've already taken some time to enjoy it."

Steven felt his next breath getting caught in his chest. That was not the string of questions he expected to hear from her. "Of course, May," he said in his attempted most princely voice, bringing it upon himself to make the first move of lowering himself to have a seat on the edge of the rise, overlooking a good portion of the island. "I realize all of this is probably overwhelming, so of course we can slow down," he added, looking up to her with a soft smile and once again, an outstretched arm to help her down to sit next to him. May tried to push the feelings of overwhelming embarrassment away from taking his hand and gingerly brought herself down to accompany him overlooking the picture-esque scenery laid out before them.

Despite wanting to ask questions, the two sat in silence for awhile. Although being silent themselves, the island was full of nature, what with the chatter of Pokémon going about their way and the constant harmonious sounds of the ocean waves in junction with the trees and grasses swaying together. It certainly was peaceful, and May found herself getting lost in the serenity of it all. That is, until she felt a large warm hand encompass over hers, jolting her back to reality, her head jerking to look right and up at Steven, who only had the softest expression on his face in response when she created eye contact with him. It was absolutely the nearby lava making her heart melt.

Because it was the beauty of their surroundings giving him that horribly contented face, not sharing a moment with her.

"So, what would you like to talk about? I imagine, you have a _few_ questions for me…" Steven said, slowly retracting his hand and looking back out at the ocean. Yeah, Steven definitely grabbed her hand to bring her back into reality, May tried to confirm for herself.

"Oh, right, well…" May attempted, suddenly forgetting all of her qualms with him. What had been her most recent question again? She had sort of gotten an answer over the letter and him leaving, although that picture wasn't completely clear, she couldn't find it in herself at that moment to probe further into that, it potentially being too personal. She then remembered, just before Mossdeep was transported, when she found Steven leaving the Pokémon Center, possibly why he was there. She had just had her phone call with Wallace interrupted, and he had said _he had been looking for her._

"Just before we ran into each other, just before the whole…_thing_…happened," May worded somewhat feebly, still unsure of what to call the event, "I was in a call with Wallace, and before it was cut short, he said that you were looking for me? That you had something to give me?"

When May finished and looked back up at Steven, he observed her with an eyebrow raised, a face mixed between curiosity and sheepishness. _She had been on the phone with Wallace?_ He made a mental note to find out later from him just what was said.

"Oh, right, yes," he hurriedly began to say, reaching inside his jacket, when he stopped as May's Pokénav started to ring. He momentarily paused as he watched her pull the tech out of her fanny-pack and answered the call.

"May, is everything alright?"

"Hi, Wallace! Yeah, things are just a little complicated at the moment, but we're okay now."

_Wallace?! Now he was calling her?_ Just how much had Steven missed while he was out exploring?

"_**We**__'re_?" Wallace reiterated with extra yielding emphasis. "May, to my knowledge, you travel alone. With whom are you traveling now?"

"Oh, yeah, I ran into Steven at Mossdeep!"

"What?! Oh, that's splendid. Is everything all right over there now? At first I wrote off losing the connection with you to faulty Devon tech, but I progressively grew worrisome after I heard about some peculiar things happening in Mossdeep."

"Well, actually, we're not in Mossdeep anymore, but to our knowledge," May paused and looked at Steven. He looked a little apprehensive, but his lips formed into a small smirk despite. "The island seems to be fine for the time being."

"That's a relief. So where are you now?"

"Uh…" May looked to Steven again, unsure of how to answer Wallace's question, "I'm going to hand you over to Steven to answer that one," she said, pulling her Pokénav from her face. "He wants to know where we are," she informed him, passing the phone-like device over to him.

"Wallace?" Steven started, "It's Steven. Remember those mystery islands I was telling you about? We're currently on an island south of Pacifidlog, the same one where I discovered all of those fossils."

"Oh that's right, how exotic. I see you, taking May to some unexplored island to do _research_-"

"-**Wallace**," Steven immediately sharply hissed into the microphone, a light rosy tint creeping onto his cheeks. Steven found himself praying to Arceus that the volume on May's Pokénav wasn't loud enough for her to hear that remark, but he wasn't about to look at May's face to confirm or deny that possibility, lest he create more suspicion for himself. Using the index finger of his free hand to loosen his tie. Steven continued, "I understand that you sometimes find it difficult to stay on task, but I'd greatly appreciate it if you were able to focus on the situation at hand."

"Yes, yes, of course. Arceus forbid I try to tease you a little bit sometimes. In that case, the two of you should head to Sootopolis. I'd really like to talk about this more in-depth, and I believe we'll need to put together some kind of report soon for the League soon, if all of this is causing as much disruption as I think it is."

"Yes, you're absolutely right. We'll be on our way shortly. See you soon."

"But wait, Steven?"

"Hm?"

"Make sure you're always being transparent with May, dare I say you shouldn't risk behaving in anything less. See you in a bit."

_Click_

Caught fairly off guard by that last statement, Steven slowly removed the Pokénav from his ear and couldn't help but look at it with a look of puzzlement. "Well," he began, straining to reiterate the last portion of his conversation with Wallace without mentally punching his best friend too much; "Wallace has extended an invitation to us to further discuss these happenings with him in Sootopolis. Word of Mossdeep's disappearance has reached him there, and we'll need to comprise a report for the League soon."

May nodded in understanding and added, "Yeah, and get our entire story straight before the reporters from Buzznav find us. It sounds like it's only a matter of time before we encounter someone."

As he pulled out his Eon Flute, Steven mindfully gave May that soft smile of his again. He had almost forgotten how much she had probably gone through with the paparazzi and the general public of Hoenn after everything had gone down with becoming the Champion, and saving the world from destruction not once, but twice. Steven found himself a bit jittery just thinking about it, that that person was May, and that she was here with him right now. In all of her joyfulness and doe-eyed cheeriness, she was still Hoenn's hero. He tried not to think about it too much, but there was a feeling nagging in the back of his mind that he'd have to confront a lot of these thoughts sooner or later. Steven had always felt like he was supposed to have this big, meaningful life, but somehow something different from what the Devon Corporation had to offer him. Perhaps that was why he had always found himself so drawn to May, and wanting to make sure that she always had her best shot at whatever it was that she intended to do.

And she had surpassed him, by an enormous amount at that, causing him to feel the need to venture out on his own for a while, which in itself had become almost entirely futile. Almost everywhere he went, there was something that reminded him of her somehow, or experiences he felt the need to share with her.

As soon as Latios arrived, before Steven even approached the Eon Pokémon, May jumped past him and jumped on Latios' back, sporting a huge grin at Steven. "My turn to lead! Come on, Steven, you can't let the thought of a couple of reporters bog you down! We have too much adventure to have still!"

Chuckling softly and pocketing the Eon Flute, Steven approached the male Eon Pokémon. Hoisting himself onto Latios behind May, Steven was finally starting to understand that he didn't have to do things on his own to have a great big life.

Their flight was far from boring, as well. Completely the opposite of how Steven led Latios in flight, May egged Latios on to make sharp turns and tilts, purely for the thrill of it, leading to Steven wrapping his arms around May a bit tighter than what he'd normally consider gentlemanly.

Taking his firm hold of her as a queue, May exclaimed, "Oh come on, Steven! Can't you tell Latios is enjoying this? You've gotta let him have some fun sometimes!" More quietly and with a snarkier tone, she added, "Although he's not nearly as adventurous as compared to his sister."

Latios was just about to make another sharp tilt to the right, when he slowed his momentum a bit as Sootopolis came into view. While this was to the relief of Steven, this caught May's attention, and she immediately scanned for any peculiarities that would make Latios suddenly slow her lead. Then she saw it, just to the right of the crater that was Sootopolis, was another unidentified tiny island.

"I haven't seen that island before…" Steven uttered.

"Should we check it out before going to Sootopolis then?" May asked. "Latios seems to want to take us there, too."

"It certainly can't hurt," Steven answered. "It's nearby, and it doesn't look terribly big."

Once they landed, Latios didn't fly off as per usual. He remained where he dropped off Steven and May, and appeared as alert as ever. "I suspect Latios seems insistent that we do some exploring," Steven observed, noticing how on edge Latios seemed, "which surely won't take terribly long, considering the size of this island."

Steven was right. This island was not nearly as beautiful or bountiful as the island that they had just left, but still plainly foreign to the both of them. May and Steven could essentially see the shores of the entire island, and the only area that could be deemed worth exploring was a single cavern dead in the middle. "Lucky for us, exploring caves is my forte," Steven said confidently, reaching inside his suit jacket and providing a small flashlight, "let's go ahead."

The inside of the cavern was not particularly any more exciting than the outside portion of the island. It was mostly covered in water deep enough to ride a Pokémon in, and the walls didn't appear to have any openings or pathways to other areas. Without hesitation and practically on instinct, May removed a Pokéball from her belt and revealed her Swampert.

"I'm going to check the water for any Pokémon. Maybe that will help us determine where this island came from," May informed Steven, hopping onto her Swampert's back with ease.

"Sounds logical," Steven agreed. "I'll check the walls and ground for anything suspicious. Maybe there are artifacts here, too, or something written in the walls."

May and Swampert skimmed across the top of the pond with ease. The water was still, but some areas certainly looked deeper than others. Still, the cavern had an unnerving feeling to it, and May wanted to dive, but she had left her wetsuit and breathing mechanism at her secret base. Besides May and her Swampert, the water mostly seemed still and devoid of any activity anyway. Just as she was about to turn to see if Steven had found any luck, something no larger than a basketball shot straight up out of the water and into the air, with enough force to create a wave that pushed her and her Swampert back, and a flash of gray and yellow whizzed past her face away from the water.

Bewildered and wide-eyed at the sudden disturbance, May blinked a few times before looking around the cavern to see where whatever flew past her went. It didn't take long to notice Steven standing by the edge of the water, and the fascinating unidentifiable gray and yellow Pokémon hovering right in front of his face.

"Easy, Swampert, let's slowly head toward them. We don't want to scare it off. I've never seen a Pokémon like it before," May almost whispered to her surfing creature.

While Swampert cautiously swam toward the shore in the foreign Pokémon's direction, May wracked her brain to classify the creature in a race with her Pokédex, watching as it stared Steven down, no more than a foot away from his face. She knew this thing was not common, by any means, but how uncommon, she was unsure, and for that reason, knew better than to make any sudden movements or sounds as to startle it, as they didn't yet know it's power. She attributed that causation to Steven standing perfectly still in front of the Pokémon. May's Pokédex finally "binged" in completion, and the stats scrolled across the screen.

_Uxie. Genderless. 1.00", .07 lbs._

_It is said that its emergence gave humans the intelligence to improve their quality of life. Known as "The Being of Knowledge." It is said that it can wipe out the memory of those who see its eyes._

It's…_eyes_?

Just after the Pokédex finished it's reading, Uxie's eyes shut, and as if acknowledging that May just acquired this new knowledge about it, Uxie teleported in a flash of blue light.

May sprang off of her Swampert and didn't bother to recall it when she ran up to Steven. She was trying to stay calm, but she couldn't help but grab the shoulders of the man in front of her to establish eye contact. The Pokédex's exact words were _"It is said."_ It could completely be myth, and she could be getting riled up about nothing.

Steven had a dead-pan look in his eyes, brows furrowed, lips slightly parted.

"Steven? Hey, you okay?"

It took him a second, but Steven's eyes came into focus with May's, but his expression remained perplexed, "I'm unsure." He took a moment to look at May's hands on his shoulders, then to observe the space around them. "That Pokémon, just now…"

May waited, but he didn't finish, so she filled in for him, "That was Uxie. I'm guessing it's a pretty big deal, with how the Pokédex described it and how it teleported out of here like that."

Steven still stood tense, and shifted his body to the side to open the space between him and May, forcing her hands to slip from his shoulders. "Your Pokédex…just what did it say about Uxie?" he questioned, deliberately and cautiously.

Trying to interpret the created distance and his tone of voice, May swallowed hard before answering, "Pretty much that if you look at Uxie's eyes, it can wipe your memories."

At that, Steven shut his eyes tightly, and crossed his arms. When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was at the ground.

"I suppose that would explain why I have no idea where we are, or _who you are_."


	3. Memento

Thanks for favoriting, following, and reviewing! I love hearing your theories and thoughts of what I might do to our poor, poor favorite characters ;D I hope you enjoy this latest installment!

* * *

_Of Hoops and Holists – Chapter 3_

_Steven left more than just a Pokéball and a letter._

* * *

May stared in disbelief as she tried to make meaning of their current predicament. She wanted to panic, but she somehow knew that this dilemma didn't allow her the time for fear. What questions did she even begin to ask? Did she let him ask questions first? She watched as Steven slowly looked around the cavern, his forehead still pinched up in scrutiny.

"I feel…like I've just woken up. I feel inclined to introduce myself, but you've made it clear that you know whom I am…" he trailed off, now turning to observe May. "I anticipate that this situation we are in is probably dire in nature, as I assume there is some level of familiarity between us that we are here together. You don't appear threatening, so I doubt I was here against my will, if I truly lost my memories. I normally explore caves in seclusion, so just the notion of me actively choosing to explore with someone is fairly alarming to me…" he finished, a visible blush now tinting his cheeks.

_What impression did that give him?_ May couldn't help but wonder just what Steven had clearly started to assume about the two of them. "I…think you might have the wrong idea," she said sheepishly, now realizing she was also blushing as well, now embarrassed by whatever it was that Steven possibly had running through his blank head. That being recognized, now she had to audibly interpret to him how she perceived their…relationship, whatever sort of relationship it was that they had.

"My name is May," she said, thinking that was probably the best place to start. Names were good. "And you helped me throughout my Pokémon journey. We've…" she trailed off, debating how to describe their adventures in the most concise way for now, because explaining anything would probably be too much for now, "we've done a lot of exploring and Pokémon training together, all across Hoenn."

"I'm sorry…" Steven started, his eyes now downcast, glossed over, "this must be impeccably irritating for you, but I'm going to propose that we keep moving? What's going on? What were we up to?"

May waved her hands in front of her body and quickly shook her head. "No no no!" she exclaimed, "Please don't apologize! Yeah, this whole situation is a little frustrating, but to be honest, I'm mostly worried about you, Steven," she admitted, now her hands held together in front of her. "I don't understand what's been happening in Hoenn, or why Uxie did this to you…but I'm going to get to the bottom of it," she confidently explained to him. This was a feeling May was familiar with. She felt the fire coming back in her chest, conceptualizing her new mission. She balled her fists in determination and continued, "I always do. This is just our next adventure. You've asked me to help you before, Steven, and I don't plan on backing down from your side now, either."

This feeling of sudden determination faltered slightly as May noticed that the small blush on Steven's cheeks hadn't gone anywhere, as an inquisitive smirk traced his lips and he so slightly tilted his head to the side. She supposed that anything going on in his head right now had to be so purely basic, as he was just receiving information, not having the tools to make meaning from it contextually.

"I'll try to keep things as simple as possible, but unfortunately, most of this is going to be a lot," May instigated, trying to process how to best articulate their situation, "but we're currently on an island that appeared in Route 126. We were on our way to see Wallace in Sootopolis, but we saw this island on our way and decided to stop here first and explore."

"And that's when Uxie appeared, probably perturbed by us invading its territory…" Steven speculated, still looking fairly stoic as he stared off at the opposite wall. May still had her eyes on him as he felt and patted his jacket and pockets to see what he had on his person.

"I suppose…we should ask each other questions?" Steven proposed. "I imagine that would be a good way to get both of us on the same level with each other."

"And I think that's an excellent idea," May responded, but she started to motion herself toward the entrance of the cavern, "but I think we should do it on the road. We need to get to Sootopolis and meet up with Wallace. You remember Wallace, right?"

"Of course," Steven responded right away, at least recognizing that he needed to follow May, "Wallace is my closest friend."

"Okay, good. I think it'll be good to have both of us nearby to explain things so we hopefully don't miss anything," May replied. As they got outside of the cavern, May started to pull out her own Eon Flute, and played the short tune. "Do you remember Latios and Latias?" she asked next.

"Yes, I have a flute just like your own," Steven answered, his words slow due to his evident curiosity.

May waved the flute a little bit at him before putting it away, and hopped onto Latias' back as soon as she arrived, then chimed, "You gave it to me." She stretched a hand out to Steven to join her on Latias. She couldn't help but smile, but not without guilt, at watching his face after she informed him that he had given him something so precious as he took her hand and mounted Latias behind her.

As Latias lifted from the ground, May said to her, "Sorry girl, but we're going to take things easy on our flight to Sootopolis today." She figured she didn't want to do anything too rigorous right now. "So, Steven," May began with her head thrown back to look up at him, "what's the last thing you remember, before Uxie?"

Steven started with a deep breath, then said, "Nothing particularly specific. I was avoiding both my Champion duties and business with my father by doing some research in caves around Hoenn. I guess the last place I remember exploring…would have to be Granite Cave. I remember wanting to find information on the ancient Pokémon of Hoenn."

"For real?" May immediately asked, almost in reflex. She brought her head back forward, a realization hitting her. "That's…exactly where we met…" May said, her brain reeling. "No wonder you don't remember me. You literally forgot everything up to right before when we first met."

"I suppose that almost answers my next question," Steven responded, "I want to know how we met."

May breathed in, now glad that she was facing forward so Steven couldn't see her face. There was nothing particularly embarrassing or weird about the way they first met, but it was still the act of remembering when they first met. "It was a request from your father, actually," she said, trying to remember the best she could. It really did seem like forever ago at this point. So much had happened since then. "He asked me to deliver a letter to you, because he knew you were on Dewford Island somewhere, and I was headed there for my next gym badge, anyway."

"You know my father?"

They were just about to lower into the crater that was Sootopolis, as May tried her hardest not to giggle. She knew that this was all serious, and actually pretty scary, but she found that trying to find it funny was the best way to deal with the lack of Steven's memories at this point. "Yeah, and that part I think I'll explain later, if you still don't remember," she said, realizing that if she started to get into the why she knew his dad, then that was going to open the whole can of worms that was Team Aqua and Team Magma, and she really was not ready for that question and answer session yet.

They landed in front of Wallace's house, and Latias took off after they dismounted. Steven went ahead and knocked on the door. When answered by swanky gym leader Wallace, he immediately had eyebrows to make at Steven.

"Well, if it isn't my sly-dog of a best friend back from his island escapades with Hoenn's sweetheart," Wallace greeted them holding the door for them to enter. Steven could only manage to stare at him confused and blankly while May blushed furiously and let herself into Wallace's home.

"Wallace, I'm gonna need you to cool it for a little bit," May said irritably, and sat down at the table in his front room. Wallace's abode was anything but humble. Lavished with modern looking furniture in white with light-blue accents, it was truly the color-scheme of both a gym leader who preferred water types and a gym leader who evidently placed value in status and quo.

"Keeping it cool is my specialty, but Miss May, I can assure you, my slights are nothing Steven cannot handle," Wallace cooed, strutting back into his home in his typical flair, leaving Steven in the doorway, expression stupefied. Steven stared at Wallace, then to May, the brunette holding a hand out to the chair perpendicular to her at the table, and Steven approached the table to also sit.

Watching his face as he came to sit next to her, May felt a pit of anxiety creep into her stomach. Here she was, in _Steven's_ best friend's house, and he was following _her_ like a puppy. He still was unsure of who she was, too, but she was the one he was putting his trust in that moment. May could tell that he simply knew that something was wrong, and he really didn't know what else to do. When Steven sat down, he looked at her expectantly, and to this, May looked worriedly at Wallace, who was still standing, now brows furrowed at the both of them.

"Okay, I get it," he said in an accused tone, and pulled up a chair at the table as well, "so fill me in. Now I really feel out of the loop."

"As do I," Steven grumbled, drawing May and Wallace's attention to see him now looking down into his lap, his hands balled in fists clutching at his pants. Wallace was about to voice his confusion once again, but May spoke up first.

"We…encountered the legendary Pokémon Uxie…" May quickly stated, emphasizing the name of the Pokémon, to see if it had any value to Wallace, and she noticed a flicker in his eyes at the name. Steven picked his head up, barely, to see if Wallace would have a reaction, and when they made eye contact, Wallace was able to put two and two together.

"You're…you're _shitting_ me," he barely whispered.

They watched as Steven tucked his head down again, lips pressed tightly together. Seeing him like this was tearing May's insides apart. The person she had grown the closest to on her journey, her closest confidant, her mentor, her guide, had _no_ idea who she was, had over two years worth of memories stripped from him, and was visibly embarrassed and frustrated. She found herself growing distressed with panic like she had promised herself not to, feeling the heat of tears starting to cloud her vision.

"We messed up…" May murmured, now staring down into her own lap. "We checked out an island just outside of Sootopolis before we got here. Latios seemed in tune with something on the island, so we thought it couldn't hurt…to check it out." It was getting harder for her to speak. _We thought it couldn't hurt. _She softly laughed bitterly before continuing. "Why…" May shook her head side to side, still dipped, and felt a few salty drips hit her legs, and her voice grew more unnerved, "why would a Pokémon do this? I had no idea there was a Pokémon that _could_ do this!"

They were all silent for a moment, only a few sniffles by May heard, and she raised her arm to wipe her face with her wrist. "I'm…sorry," she uttered, trying her best to crack a small smile when she lifted her head to look back at the two men, "I know, I'm the hero. I need to hold it together," she told them monotonously.

Wallace's face said otherwise. "May, you can't be expected to be 100 percent at all times, you're just one person," Wallace consoled her, reaching to hold her hands from across the table, "and you have every reason to be upset right now. We all do." He tilted his head toward Steven. He was staring awestruck at his heroine, apparently still unsure of what to make of her. May felt a little bit of the weight lift from her chest, but she felt some of it return when she saw how Steven was looking at her. Memories of her or not, his baffled expression in her direction was enough to make an 80 year-old woman swoon.

"And additionally to that, I wouldn't dare say that you messed up," Wallace added, letting go of May's hands and leaning back again into his chair, crossing his arms across his chest. "There is certainly a disturbance in our universe, what with these islands coming and going, and for the legendary Pokémon Uxie to act out as it did, something is definitely upsetting a balance somewhere."

"Wallace," May said, pushing herself to remain as composed as she could as to further their conversation, "Do you know when the islands started appearing and disappearing?"

"Yes, actually," Wallace replied, pausing briefly, "I believe Steven told me about them shortly after…you saved us all from Deoxys."

"What?!" Steven abruptly exclaimed, his face shooting back in May's direction, had he ever stopped looking at her prior. May just felt her heart melting all over again and was losing the fight against keeping her face from showing her melancholy.

"This is exactly what I was worried about explaining…" May said with a small voice, "Wallace, he doesn't remember anything about _me_." She looked up at the gym leader and continued, "the last thing he remembers is literally right before he met me. I mean, not to make everything about _me_, but that means he doesn't remember everything that happened with the legendary Pokémon, with the Cave of Origin, with the Space Center…" her voice softened to a just whisper, as listing everything just became too much for her to continue.

"Well that's…_dramatic_…" Wallace resentfully replied. "But…" He tapped his chin in thought. "Fortunately or otherwise, however you'll have it, a few things have crossed my mind. May, do you still have the Iron Plate that Steven gave you?"

May's face momentarily lit up, and she made the mistake of glancing at Steven as well. He just looked defeated at this point, slumped in his chair, and weakly lifted his eyes toward May to see her response. "Uh, yeah, it's right here," she said, unzipped her fanny pack and pulling out the foreign artifact, and set it on the table, engraving side facing up so everyone could see.

_"When the universe was created, its shards became this Plate."_

"Bare with me, but, if my memory serves me correctly, Steven retrieved this plate from one of the islands that appeared along Route 129…" he began to explain. He inhaled deeply, and released an extended sigh. "I believe Steven had been exploring several of these islands, finding various artifacts, fossils, and the like.

"Now, back to this plate. When I had the Splash Plate in my possession, it also had an engraved message on it, but it read, '_Two make matter and three make spirit, shaping the world._' There are other plates, all with messages like these, ambiguous about the creation of our world. Where I'm getting with this, though, is this _three make spirit_ part. What I _do_ know about Uxie, is it is considered to be a _third_ of this spirit. There is knowledge, emotion, and willpower, and Uxie is _knowledge_."

Wallace took a pause, collecting his thoughts. "This is all completely speculation at this point, but I feel we really have no other choice, and, being Sootopolitan, I have dependence in legendary Pokémon myths by nature. My notion though, is that Uxie saw that Steven had involvement in whatever has been causing this disturbance, and, likely reacted in instinct. Probably sensing the strong connection between the two of you, Uxie possibly recognized that you and your relationship as something of value to take from Steven, and, its power being able to erase memories, did exactly that."

"Wallace…" Steven finally spoke, though his voice was still soft, "had I turned in to the type of person over the past two years who would seek to cause such chaos?"

Wallace couldn't help but chuckle kindly in response before answering, "Dear Arceus, no, in fact, quite the opposite. If anything, we all learned a valuable lesson to leave the legendary Pokémon of this world at peace, unless they seek us out first."

"Oh, good," Steven said almost automatically, and also realizing the irony, that all of this was quite the contrary of good, "here I was thinking I had turned into some kind of tyrant."

"So, since I have a feeling tonight is going to be long," May asked, reaching again into her fanny pack, "Wallace, what's good to eat here? We should order something. I'm super hungry." She pulled out her wallet, but Wallace shook his head and pulled his out in response.

Wallace gave a breathy laugh. She was the hero, that was certain, and she had an appetite, and wallet, to match. "Of course, I think that's a great idea. There's an excellent restaurant just down the block, Papagalos. I'll go ahead and place an order for pick up. And it's on me. Not everyday I get to dine with the Champion of Hoenn and my amnesia-ridden best friend."

"Don't forget to order their yoghurt and honey mousse," Steven quickly added.

Staring at him and blinking in disbelief, Wallace said, "Not even a legendary Pokémon could make you forget your favorite desert, apparently."

Making a face that was something of a pout and very unlike Steven, he replied, "We've been ordering from Papagalos for years, Wallace. Additionally, I think I deserve to have my favorite desert, considering how my day has been."

"How can you say that, when you don't even remember half of your day?" Wallace asked immediately following with sass, but quickly followed it with, "Exactly." Wallace relieved himself of his seat and started to leave the room with his Pokénav and said, "which is why we're ordering from there. It was always your favorite, that _I_ remember. Time to start trying anything and everything to jog your memory."

Wallace left the dining room to place the order, leaving Steven and May alone in silence. After a bit of twiddling her thumbs, trying to avert her eyes from whatever possible embarrassing look amnesia-Steven was giving her, she finally uttered, "Wallace has a good point. Until we know for sure just what Uxie did to you, whether it actually erased your memories, or if it just made you forget, and they're still retrievable, we should see if we can work toward you regaining your memories naturally."

When she finished, she looked at Steven, and unsurprisingly, he was staring at her again, but with that signature soft smile of his that May knew all too well. Immediately embarrassed, May blushed, and quickly said in confusion, "What?"

"Sorry," Steven said right away, turning his face away toward the table again, becoming a common theme of the evening, and a blush gracing his cheeks to match May's, "but I'm finding it hard to not just look at you. While I still have a clear memory of some things, I'm also feeling like a blank slate at times, especially with you. I really am sorry."

May let go of a nonjudgmental sigh, although she was still unsure of as to why not remembering her required him to stare at her so intently. "No, I'm sorry," she said, trying her best to understand. "I really can't be upset with you about anything, Steven. None of this is your fault."

"I get that, but at the same time, I can't help but feel this overwhelming guilt," Steven admitted, still looking down at the table. Despite herself, May placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and said, "Hey, it's okay. Well, that's a lie. This all is really _not_ okay, but we're going to make it okay, okay? I promise."

Steven lifted his head at the contact, and searched May's face with his eyes before responding, "I think I'd like to know about how you know my father, now."

May retracted her hand and laughed tenderly. "Of course."

That was the start of May explaining everything, from the beginning. She depicted retrieving the Devon Goods, illustrated making deliveries and saving the museum in Slateport. Wallace eventually returned, having been gone much longer than necessary to place a phone order, but then excused himself to pick up dinner. May continued on, retelling the tale of Mt. Chimney, Southern Island, Latios and Latias, of the Weather Center, of mega evolution, of Mt. Pyre, of the Space Center.

Wallace returned, and the house was immediately filled with the smell of garlic and oregano, and May's stomach did some talking that could be heard a Pokémile away. Wallace brought the bags of takeout to the table and starting pulling out dishes, along with paper plates and disposable silverware.

"You're just in time to help me explain everything with the Cave of Origin, Wallace," May said, immediately loading her plate with a huge helping of dolmas and haloumi salad.

"Yes of course, help yourself," Wallace replied in a snarky tone, "and yes of course, I can relieve you of your story-telling responsibilities for awhile."

They dove into dinner while Wallace and May continued to narrate for Steven all of his and May's adventures that he had forgotten. He handled the news of being dethroned of his champion title and position better than they anticipated, but that may have partially been due to him having started his honey mousse by that point.

It was an information overload, and discussing everything with Rayquaza and Zinnia took them well into the later hours of the night.

"So…" May began tentatively, "did any of this help at all?"

"It certainly helped put some things into understanding for me, but I can't say that I organically or naturally remember any of what you've told me," Steven said, a look of loss back on his face. "Most of it I can hardly imagine to begin with, as it all seems so fantastical."

"Well, hopefully soon, you won't have to try to imagine it, and you'll remember," May said sweetly, as she tried to give her best encouraging smile.

Wallace gave a glance at his Pokénav, and yawned in instinct at seeing what time it was. "Not to play concerned parent or anything, but we should all contemplate getting some rest," he said, getting up and starting to clear the table. "There are still several things that we need to discuss and plot out, and with that in consideration, tomorrow might be another long day for us. You're both of course welcome to stay here, as I've got spare bedrooms for the both of you."

Neither May or Steven put up an argument, and the three helped one another clean up from dinner. After all was said and done, Wallace led them to the rooms they'd be staying in. "May, you'll be staying in the room Lisia usually stays in when she visits," Wallace explained, "She comes over often, so there should be pajamas that you'll fit in, if you're interested."

May thanked him, and after bidding both men goodnight, dipped into the spare bedroom. It was a complete contrast from having spent the entire evening in the modern dining room, because, even though it was a _spare_ bedroom for Lisia, it was still cut out for a princess. The bed was high off the ground, surrounded by four posts and draped with light blue mesh. There was an enormous Altaria plushie in one corner of the bed. The dresser against the wall was set up like what you'd see in a dressing room for a movie or television show, completely decked out for makeovers.

May opened one of Lisia's drawers, and felt relieved. For whatever reason, she had a feeling that, based on Lisia and Wallace's _flair_, that Lisia's pajamas were going to be something ridiculous that May would never wear in a hundred years. Luckily for her, right on top was a basic blue shorts set, covered in a design depicting shiny Swablu.

After changing and crawling into the huge princess-like bed, May had a hard time anticipating sleep. There was just too much to think about. At least Steven was being cooperative. After thinking about it, May realized that, all things considered, Steven probably reacted in the best way possible today, and his reactions could have been much, much worse.

May turned onto her side, hoping that maybe a different position would induce sleep, but after several minutes of steeping in thoughts from the day, still no luck. How could she possibly sleep? Too much had happened in the day, and thinking that it all would have exhausted her to the point of passing out, May only felt herself wired and unable to focus on a single thought or idea for very long.

Then there was still the question of the disappearing of Mossdeep and the appearance of other islands that were clearly not from other areas of Hoenn. How was something like _that_ even possible? Wallace seemed to know a lot of Pokémon mythology, but if he had any theories on it, he probably would have shared them by now.

And what of Mossdeep? The island was probably in hysterics by now, and reporters were probably knocking on Steven's door all day, keeping their eyes peeled for his return. May realized that keeping Steven hidden from the press was just one more thing she needed to add to her extreme to-do list. The entire nation didn't need to know about his incident with Uxie, or at least, not yet, before his memories came back.

Which led to the actuality of Steven's memories. They didn't know for sure just what Uxie did to Steven's brain, if it actually _erased_ his memories, or if it did something of a locking away, making his memories temporarily inaccessible.

And then, if Wallace's hypothesis as to _why_ Steven's memories of the past two years were taken was true, just thinking about it made May's face beet red and press her face into her pillow.

A weak knocking at her door interrupted her private embarrassment, and before she had the chance to react with anything more than jumping to a seated upright position, she heard the doorknob turn and the clicking of the lockset as the door slowly opened inward. Revealed in the doorway was the silver-haired young adult himself, stripped down to a white sleeveless shirt and plain black pajama pants.

If May had had any chance of falling asleep within the next few minutes, it had disappeared. Her heart now in her throat at seeing him in his current attire, having hardly seen him in anything other than his usual suit, May had a hard time conceptualizing what she was seeing. While she was unable to speak, Steven invited himself into her room, closing the door behind him.

Finally, May managed a, "What are you doing in here?!" Her heart was pounding. Here she was, sitting in bed, in the dark, in her pajamas, while Steven approached her, wearing much less than she was used to seeing him in.

"I'm so sorry," he said quickly in return, what had seemed like approaching her now turning into a small pace around the room, "but I am completely unable to sleep. I'm too restless."

May was trying her best to find understanding for Steven's predicament, as it affected her directly as well, but in a different angle. Scooting to sit at the edge of the bed, May twisted on a small lamp that sat on the nightstand next to the bed, putting the room in a soft glow, and patted the mattress in the space next to her for Steven to sit. He stopped his pacing, and visibly hesitated, but came to sit next to May nonetheless.

"Please forgive me for barging into your room," Steven started apologizing again, "I really don't know what to do with myself-"

"Really, it's okay I get it," May said, cutting him of. "Today's been really confusing. I'm kind of glad you came in here, I've been having trouble sleeping as well."

"There's something I simply cannot stop thinking about, and I can't wrap my brain around it, although that might be for obvious reasons," Steven said, articulating his words carefully, head in his hands. His hair was a tussled mess, so different from the perfectly shaped style that May was so used to seeing. He evidently had at least _tried_ to sleep.

"Well, if you want to ask me questions, I'm all ears for you, Steven, and I'll do the best I can do answer," May replied, turning toward him, lifting one leg up onto the mattress with her knee bent so that she could better angle herself toward him.

"Forgive me if this is pushing any boundaries but," Steven had been looking down into his lap, but pushed himself to make eye contact when he asked, "May, what am I to you?"

Instantly thankful for the dim lighting, May had a hard time processing the question, despite the inquiry being the very reason for the rush of heat to her face. _What _is_ Steven to me?!_ May thought in alarm. Fretting over how to word her answer, her emotions only heightened when she realized that Steven was desperately looking her in the eyes, anticipating her response. May gulped, and it felt so loud to her, which led her to hoping that Steven couldn't hear the sound of her ever-growing heartbeat. It then flickered across her mind that it was probably best to be as honest as possible, in hopes that this was something that could possibly help jog his memory.

"Steven, you're very important to me…" she began, congratulating herself in her mind for a good start, and tried to continue, "You've helped me grow, not only as a Pokémon trainer, but as a person, and I feel forever indebted to you." Face completely flushed but luckily hidden under the level of light in the room, May decided that her answer was sufficient for the time being.

Steven was silent for a moment, probably processing, and eventually whispered, "I see." May carefully watched his face under the dim lighting to try to read any thoughts or emotions that were possibly passing through, but she was finding it difficult to interpret anything. What became even more difficult to interpret, was when she felt his large hand covering hers on the bed, now becoming a familiar sensation, but still heightening her hormones regardless.

Eventually, Steven spoke up again, "I inherently find myself wanting to trust you and be near you." Her brain turned to mush, and she jolted her face back in his direction. She had to keep in mind that everything he was saying was how he felt, and potentially hinted at his condition. "Whatever was between us," he continued, keeping his voice soft, "whatever connection we had or still have, is still here, inside of me. I just can't remember it."

Had she heard him right? No, May could not let her get ahead of herself. She responded almost in reflex, "Even though the memories are gone, the emotions remain…"

"Although I can't remember anything about you, I can't help myself wanting to stay in your company," Steven said, furrowing his brows, and squeezing May's hand. He inched closer to her, if that was possible, and May felt her heart pound. "I have no idea what's going on, but I feel safe by your side," he added, looking back into her eyes again. May felt herself melting all over again, with an added element thanks to the look of desperation in Steven's eyes that directly translated into her heart.

"Steven, I'm not going anywhere," May said, bringing her other hand to cup over Steven's that was already on her own, so she could hold his hand with both of hers, "I can assure you, I'm going to help you get your memories back, and we're going to continue our adventures, just like we always do."

Those were the words that set off the trap, and time slipped into slow motion as May watched Steven draw his free hand toward her face, caressing her cheek. She watched in silence as his light blue eyes came closer to her vision, and her head was tilted in his hand, the warmth of his breath now on her lips, her chest tightening in disbelief of the reality currently unfolding before her. This had been what she always wanted, and now it was all so real: the firm, yet delicate touch of his hand caressing her face, getting lost in his dreamy blue eyes, the sensation of his breath so close to her mouth…

_No._

_This wasn't right._

"No." May abruptly leaned back, tilting her head downcast and to the side. It pained her and twisted her insides, but she knew there was no way what was about to happen could be okay, "Steven, you can't. _We_…can't. You don't…you don't even remember who I am," she choked out, relieved she snapped herself into the seriousness of their situation, but still finding her position no less difficult to handle. She couldn't bring herself to look at him, knowing that whatever look on his face would only further complicate the way she was feeling. "You're running on emotions alone. I, I wouldn't feel right about this, with you not even knowing my name had I not told you what it was."

May felt a rush of coolness as Steven quickly removed himself from her side, practically leaping off of the bed at her reaction and explanation. In a flash, Steven was back at the door, his hand already on the doorknob.

"May, I'm so sorry," his voice pleaded weakly, the sound of him so broken causing May's stomach to lurch and her chest tighten. She listlessly lifted her head to see him facing the door, his forehead pressed against the doorframe, eyes shut tightly. "I'm lost and vulnerable, May. The way my heart feels when I look at you…that has been the only clear understanding I've found in my state of perplexity…but that is still absolutely no excuse for my behavior," he continued, his voice dripping with hopelessness. "If…you can't forgive me, I understand. I'll see you in the morning."

May watched as he quickly dismissed himself, leaving her alone again in the guest bedroom. She needed to sleep, but there was no way it was finding her tonight.


	4. Guard Split

_Of Hoops and Holists – Chapter 4_

_Steven had left more than just a Pokéball and a letter._

* * *

"What's the format for these reports again?"

"One inch margins, 1.5 spaced, Times New Azalean."

It was morning, and Steven and May found themselves sitting again at Wallace's table, the smell of hot syrup and pancakes in the air. They were both at laptops, typing away. Steven had a small, black mole-skinned notebook open next to his laptop, pages full of chicken-scratch.

"Don't hold back, _please_," Wallace snarked. He was at the counter, making pancakes for breakfast, because he insisted that they all needed them that morning. Wallace was obviously being sassy, because without even looking back at them, he could feel the undefined awkwardness from the silence of May and Steven.

"Sorry," May said, "I'm just trying to make sure I type everything out, and I don't want to miss any details."

Wallace began to serve up a few plates, and carried them to the table, placing them in front of the two, then grabbing his own, and joining them at the table. May went ahead and began to eat, while Steven didn't flinch, continuing to type.

"All the more reason the two of you should be having some kind of a dialogue. I don't know what shenanigans you two got into after I fell asleep last night," Wallace said, "but Steven, you need to eat."

Instead of lifting his head up, Steven just lifted his eyes to glare at Wallace from under his silver hair. Even while glaring at him, Steven never stopped typing.

Picking up his fork, Wallace chimed, "Ah, there's the Steven I remember, specifically after a long night of research."

Steven rolled his eyes at Wallace, pushed his laptop to the side, and closed his notebook. He pulled the plate of pancakes in front of him and readied himself to eat. "I just wanted to finish transcribing," Steven said matter-of-factly, "I apparently was jotting down notes about the islands I was visiting. Finishing that, for now, is the only contribution that I can make at this point that I feel is valid, considering my lack of first-person memory. Everything regarding Mossdeep and…_Uxie_, would only be second-hand information based on what the two of you have narrated to me."

"Oh, yeah," May responded between bites, "I can…write that part up." Wallace chuckled, noticing the stark difference in behavior between May and Steven. May hadn't hesitated for a moment to start eating when he set her breakfast in front of her. Steven hadn't flinched and had continued typing his report. May pushed her plate aside and pulled her laptop in front of her once more, continuing her account.

Steven finished his breakfast in haste, and feverishly looked around the room as May continued to type and Wallace took his time finishing his meal. Wallace picked up on this, and paused to look at Steven with a raised eyebrow in concern.

"Sorry…" Steven muttered, forcing himself to look down into his lap, where he began to fold his hands, "I just really don't know what to do with myself, or where to go from here. I want to keep exploring and researching the phenomenon of these islands because I feel that that's important, but…" he trailed off, and he lifted a hand over his small black notebook that was still on the table. "I'm having a difficult time hypothesizing what our next plan of action should be, what with me not organically having recollection of events of the past two years…"

"Which I think is completely understandable," Wallace picked up for Steven where he trailed off, "I know you've always felt this sense of duty towards Hoenn, Steven, but I think now is as good of a time as ever to put those feelings of obligation on hold, and focus on you."

After tapping his index finger a few times against his notebook, Steven spoke up again. "May, once you've finished…would you accompany me to Granite Cave?" he asked slowly and articulately, but with a hint of sheepishness. "If that's the last thing I remember, and also the place of our first meeting, then perhaps if we revisited together, it could help out with my memory."

Before May could do so much as look up from her laptop at Steven and blink, Wallace had already begun to speak. "I think that's a marvelous idea!" he chimed, and began to clear the table. "While you're gone, I'm going to make some calls. I'm becoming heavily interested in these Plates, especially now that I'm realizing there might be potential in learning about them and learning about more of the lore of Uxie and the _3 of spirit_."

"I appreciate it," Steven said.

"What, you think I'm interested in all of that because of _you_?" Wallace naturally sassed, but changed his tone the moment he saw Steven's face fall in shame. "I…no. Steven, while all of these myths astound me, I think that we can all agree here," he continued, motioning toward May, who evidently was finishing up as she closed the laptop and looked expectantly in return, "that our main focus right now is finding a path toward you getting your memory back."

"Wallace," May started, followed with a sigh, "You had only hinted at it last night, but…do you think that Uxie, and everything with these islands, is leading to something, you know…bigger? Not to cause unnecessary hype, but I think, considering our, yaknow, _history_, I can only help but wonder."

Wallace hummed. "I don't want to cause any potential worry either, but…" he said, making sure to collect his thoughts before continuing, "Legendary Pokémon only meddle in our lives if they feel we have somehow threatened theirs. A little bit of research at this point is the least I can do, before we go making anyone else upset without knowing it."

"And you're sure I wasn't a tyrant?" Steven asked again.

"Goodness, Steven, no!" Wallace cried, dramatically spinning around from the kitchen sink to face Steven, hands full of suds. "May, please, get him out of here. We need to work on his memories, pronto."

"Oh, y-yeah," May said. "Let me just go pack up my things." She excused herself from the table, and disappeared into the guest bedroom in which she stayed.

Steven pocketed his notebook from the table, and slumped into his chair. "Wallace?"

Wallace rinsed his hands off, dried, and pulled himself a chair to sit down again at the table with Steven.

"You need to be careful, Steven." Wallace said, "May's trying her best to do what she can for you, and you need her right now."

"I…understand that much, but," Steven replied, brow furrowed, "I think I already ruined this."

Wallace immediately narrowed his eyes at Steven and said, "Oh, I know, Steven. These walls aren't soundproof."

Steven's face visibly paled, and his stomach lurched.

"I mean, I don't know _exactly_ what happened, but, well, just _what_ happened in there? Just what were you trying to accomplish?"

"Or, I guess you don't have to tell me, but…" Wallace added after he swore he could see the steam spewing out of Steven's red-stricken ears after his question, "in all seriousness, we need to be keeping an eye out for disturbances. Take care on your way to Dewford. I'll be seeing what literature I can get ahold of and getting in touch with some contacts. Is there anyone in particular you'd like me to seek out?"

"Cynthia."

"…are you sure?"

Steven only side-eyed Wallace. "Absolutely. I'm unaware if she has published any of her findings yet, but, the last I remember, she had been spending most of her time researching the Legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh. Hopefully she'll know something about Uxie. And with Sinnoh being the home of the Plates as well, maybe she'll know something about them."

"Alright…" Wallace started, folding his hands in his lap, "just making sure. I just don't want things getting _sticky_ for you now that May's in the mix."

"Which is why _you're_ getting in touch with her, not me," Steven replied, and then snarkily added as he stood up from the table, getting ready to leave, "while you're at it, get in touch with Winona as well, would you?"

Wallace had evidently not expected Steven to add that last bit, as his face fell, his mouth slightly agape.

"Don't tell me you haven't talked to her once in the past two years?" Steven immediately remarked in response to Wallace's expression.

"Of course I have!" Wallace shot back, "things have just been, _hectic_, lately."

"You can say that again," Steven said, now packing his last things into a backpack that was on the couch. May entered the room, evidently ready to head out.

"Thanks so much for your hospitality, Wallace," May thanked him.

"The pleasure is all mine, May," Wallace replied, "but now, let's focus on Steven and working him back to where his brain used to be, although, I'd be lying if I said I didn't like this empty-headed Steven at least a little."

Steven side-eyed Wallace for maybe the 50th time that day, and it was hardly ten o'clock. Catching this, May suggested, "Alright, Steven, we better get going…" May was already almost out the door.

"Yes, yes, okay," Steven replied, quickly grabbing his things to follow suit, only throwing a hand in a wave at Wallace, and adding in a smirk at him as he closed the door on his way out. "We're on our way! See you later, Wallace!"

"So, _Miss_ May, what's our plan of action?" Steven asked, following May down the crater city's paths as she pulled her Eon flute from her fanny pack.

The plan was to land in Lilycove. After some awkward deliberation, Steven and May decided that with the combination of riding together for 7 hours to Dewford was a little much at the moment, and additionally, deciding it best to let Latias and Latios rest, considering all the flying they'd been doing for them as of late. They agreed to fly as far as Lilycove, where they could take the S.S. Tidal to Slateport, and either fly to Dewford or ride with Mr. Briney. After landing in Lilycove, they would head straight to the City Harbor, and board the S.S. Tidal as inconspicuously as possible.

And it had almost worked.

May and Steven were inside the Harbor, just about to secure their place on the ship headed to Slateport.

"I'm sorry, but, there's only one open cabin left on the ship," the attendant said, "would you still like the room?"

May and Steven had only briefly glanced at each other in a moment's embarrassment, when a voice from the entrance caused them both to turn their heads again and look.

"There they are! It's Champion May _and_ Steven Stone! And they're about to get a **cabin together on the S.S. Tidal!"**

"Yes we are," May cursorily muttered, taking no hesitation in whipping out her wallet from her fanny pack and pulling a card out, slipping it into the attendant's hands. "We'll take it, and quickly," May said, with urging eyes. It was impossible for the attendant to not understand, and she hastily complied, lifting the red velvet line holder for the two to pass, and immediately placing it back after the two had passed into the ship.

The attendant only had the biggest grin on her face when the reporters approached the entrance to the ship. "Sorry, but that was our last cabin. The next ferry leaves in about two hours. Would you like to reserve spots on the next trip?"

Now on the ship, and safe from the reporters, May and Steven were able to relax, at least a little bit.

"Alright, we're in cabin 2…" May said, leading the way down the hallway, using a key to let them through the door. Once they were inside the small room, May could only give a soft giggle. "It's nice to be the one calling the shots like this."

Steven could only raise an eyebrow at her, to which May replied, "Sorry, I just mean it was kind of exciting to decide something like that in the moment myself."

Closing the door behind him and helping himself to the small dining table to remove his pack, Steven's brow was furrowed. "You make it sound like I…made you do things?" he said with a hesitantly questioning ring, and he lifted his head up from the table to look at May, who was still standing by the door.

"What?" May immediately responded, her cheeks instantly taking a rosy hue. "No, no, nothing like that," she said, waving her hands in front of her face, "I just meant that, well…" she faltered. Steven had certainly heavily persuaded many of her major decisions in the past 2 years, and it would be a lie to say otherwise. Would she have done anything differently? Not particularly. But it would also be a lie to say that most of her major decision-making was absolutely influenced by Steven.

"I'm sorry that I can't remember," Steven said, filling in the silence that May left. May looked up at him from across the small room, and there he was, with that sad soft smile again, that look that May still didn't know how to interpret the way it made her feel.

"Steven," May replied in the most honest voice she could muster, "you have nothing to apologize for. At least, not concerning your memory. We have no idea why Uxie did this, or what's going on with Hoenn right now."

Watching his head look back down at his pack on the table, but his expression not change at all, May offered, "Hey, I think I'd like to explore the ship a little bit. Do you want to come with me?"

Steven offered her another soft smile, this time with his eyes closed, then looked away again before answering, "That's okay, you go ahead. I think I've got some meditating to do."

May tried her best to keep her chin up, despite hoping he'd come with, and said, "That's okay. I'll keep the ringer on my Pokénav on loud in case you need anything," and excused herself from the cabin.

Truthfully, May wanted to head to the deck to chat with the captain, and Steven not accompanying her could possibly help keep that conversation less complicated for now, considering his current condition. Still, she couldn't help but worry, as he was having a hard time not acting like an abandoned Skiddo about the whole thing.

Carrying herself mildly, May walked down the hall toward the entrance to the deck, kindly waving at anyone who recognized her, but continuing to walk with a purpose so as to not be stopped by anyone.

The deck was less crowded that usual, but still not empty by any means. May tried to not seem too focused as she made her way past the tables of the young and laughing socialites that frequented the S.S. Tidal.

"Had I ever told you that Archie and I were once shipmates?" the old man at the wheel said to May as she approached his side. The captain was no other than Drake of the Hoenn Elite Four, and he always had a peculiar way of greeting her when she came to talk to him on the ship.

"I don't believe you have," May said, "and that's an awfully odd thing to have prepared to say to me first thing."

"Always full of determination, that one," Drake continued, not taking his eyes off of the sea before him, "although, had I known what that determination had been for, specifically, well…let's just say I'm not without my regrets."

May crunched her forehead in response and said, "No way…you can't mean you think you could have predicted his ideals?"

Drake gave a hearty chuckle in response, "Can't say it doesn't cross my mind from time to time these days, lass. Now, Miss May, to what do I owe the pleasure of having a beaut like you on my ship?"

"I wanted to see how things have been on your usual route," May said, getting straight to the point, "and I want to know if you've seen anything weird lately. In general."

"Yer askin' bout the islands, aren't ya."

"So you've seen them?!" May asked with a bit of excitement.

Drake took a deep sigh, and glanced at May for a moment before closing his eyes. "I see various islands from time to time. At first I chummed them up as mirages on these old eyes out at sea for so long. But then I overheard some of the regulars on deck starting to notice the irregularities as well, and I knew it wasn't just me."

"It's definitely not just you," May assured him, "Steven's apparently been attempting to research them for some time now."

"Ah, so the two of ya have come to police me then, eh? For not having said something to The League about this sooner? I hope you can give an old sea dog a break."

"Woah, no way, it's nothing like that," May immediately responded. "And even then, I still have a really hard time seeing myself as, you know, higher ranked than you."

"Atta girl!" Drake's voice boomed, quickly followed by another hearty laugh. For coming off as such a hard-ass most of the time, there was something about the way Drake laughed, had you the chance to hear it, that made you want to bottle it and keep it for the darkest times. "So what're the two of ya makin' of these islands, then?"

"Well, nothing quite set in stone, as of yet," May said, her voice hesitant. "We have our thoughts that there's a Pokémon of some sort that's contributing in some way, but even then, those are only speculations. We don't have much to go off of. Well, except," May added, having a certain realization, "there was one island we visited that we know is most likely from the Sinnoh region. You'll read this in our upcoming reports, but, we encountered Uxie on that island."

Drake grunted. "I hardly read those reports, but it sounds like I'll probably need to start. Continue."

May decided that for now, it was probably best to keep Steven's amnesia under wraps. "I feel like I've done a lot of talking, though. And that's pretty much it. What do you make of these islands? And do you know anything about Sinnoh lore?" May asked.

"To be perfectly honest, Sinnoh is one region that I hardly know anything about," Drake answered. "Hate to say it, but it's the truth. As for these islands, well…" he trailed off before continuing to speak. "I'm still uncertain of just what to think, and I hate jumping to conclusions. But I can tell you one thing: my Pokémon know that something is wrong, and they don't like what's been going on in Hoenn one bit. Have you tried consulting your Pokémon for what they think?"

May was ashamed. The thought hadn't even occurred to her. Had she even paid attention to how her Swampert felt when she called upon him on the island with Uxie? What kind of champion was she, that she hadn't even checked her Pokémon's feelings regarding the regional changes?

Her silence was enough of an answer for Drake, and he closed his eyes, and grunted once more. "Miss May, I think it'd be wise for you to rest up in your cabin for a bit. Assuming the weather stays clear, we have maybe two hours more on the sea before docking in Slateport, and I have a feeling that once we land there, you'll be as lively as always."

"You're not wrong," May responded lightly, bringing a hand to tuck back a strand of hair that blew loose from a sudden breeze. Drake was right about the weather; they couldn't have asked for clearer skies, and a perfect day to be at sea. "I guess I'll get going now," she said, about to leave for her cabin, "but thanks for the talk. I really appreciate it. I need to listen to my Pokémon more when I'm unsure of what to do."

"Aye Miss May, you take care."

When May reentered her cabin, she found Steven passed out in a chair, slumped over the small table, using his pack as a pillow. He had said meditating, but it looked like he meant napping. May walked over to the bed and removed the top blanket, using it to cover Steven's sleeping body, and then allowed herself to curl up in the bed. He didn't have the wrong idea, and it couldn't hurt to listen to Drake. There was no doubt that once they landed in Slateport, they would be busy bodies as always, so a nap didn't seem like a terrible idea. It wouldn't be terribly hard to fall asleep to the swaying of the ship and the sound of waves crashing against the hull.

"Mnmm, please, five more minutes."

"May, please, we've safely arrived in Slateport. It's time to go."

…or that's at least what May was pretty sure she heard. She was about to drowsily protest once more, until she felt cool fingers pushing her bangs back to reveal her forehead. It was the touch of metal rings that caused her to jolt into an upright sitting position.

May was clearly disheveled, clutching the sheet to her chest as she stared at Steven with wide eyes. "I'm awake!" she blurted.

Steven couldn't hide his blush. He knew he probably shouldn't have touched May like that, but he didn't know how else to try to wake her. Just talking to her hadn't worked, and he didn't want to do anything that wasn't gentle. Still, he could still feel how soft her hair was in his fingers, and he cursed himself for the lingering thought.

"I hope you're feeling well-rested, "Steven managed, now forcing himself to walk to the table and grab his backpack, "are you ready to depart?"

"Uh, yeah…" May resonded, still taking a moment to take in her surroundings. She must've napped pretty hard, because she was feeling pretty hazy, "but forgive me if I seem aloof. I'm still waking up."

Steven couldn't help a chuckle. "I imagine at this rate, it's only courteous for me to be nothing but forgiving, considering what you've probably had to mentally go through with me so far."

May took care sliding off of the bed, and joined Steven in leaving the cabin. A sailor was waiting just outside of their door, ready to escort them off of the ship, and his cheeks were rosy with assumptions.

"Thank you, but this isn't terribly necessary," Steven said to the sailor escort as they walked down the hall.

"Forgive me, Mr. Stone, but I'm actually supposed to warn you for what's waiting for the both of you when you get off of the ship," the sailor replied as he was about to lead them through the exit.

Steven stopped walking, and put a hand up for May to stop walking as well. "Warn us? Whatever of?" Steven cautiously and sternly asked, "and _please_, call me _Steven_…"

The sailor's hat was now in his hands, and he almost looked ashamed, as his eyes set downcast. He was clearly young, as was directed with what to say. "I'm sorry, Mr. Sto…_Steven_, but…apparently it caught wind that the two of you caught the ferry for Slateport , so…there might be a hoard of reporters waiting for you in the harbor."

Steven was about to speak, until he noticed that May already had a Pokéball in one hand, and her Eon flute in the other.

"I'm sorry, we didn't get your name," May sweetly said to the sailor, despite her hands depicting that she was ready for action.

"Uh, it's Elroy, Miss Maple."

"Thank you so much for the warning, Elroy, I really appreciate it," May said to the sailor, her words dripping with charm. "Steven, stay close to me and do as I say."

Steven eyed the young heroine cautiously but stayed close as she exited the ship. He was about to make a comment about her evidently being more awake now, but anyone would have been jumped awake at the sight and sound before them as soon as they stepped off of the ship.

"Champion May!"

"Steven Stone!"

"Is it true you shared a cabin together?"

"What's the occasion?"

"What does Gym Leader Norman think of your rendezvous?"

Without missing a beat, May tossed her Pokéball out at the water in the harbor, and leapt out onto her Swampert just as he materialized. She expectantly looked back at Steven with urgency, who needed a moment to realize the moment, and after a two second delay, jumped on Swampert's back as well. The buzz of reporters' voices and cameras' clicks only increased as Swampert ferried them out of the harbor and into the sunlight, where May swiftly blew the calling melody, and in a flash, Latias was there. She lowered herself to almost touching the water so that May and Steven could easily climb aboard her back, and May withdrew her Swampert, and with that, they were high up in the sky, headed towards Dewford.

"Man, we should've timed that!" May called out over her shoulder at Steven, "I bet we got out of there in thirty seconds flat!"

"I appreciate your cheery demeanor, May, but," Steven answered, still looking back and down at the harbor, now with reporters spilling outside and plenty of cameras catching their escape, "do the reporters not worry you in the slightest? You realize that all of this is going to be plastered on every television in Hoenn for the rest of the day, right?"

Steven felt May take a deep breath, reminding him that he was maybe holding onto her waist too tightly, and he loosened. "Are you saying you're not impressed?" she replied over her shoulder, "inventing escape routes used to be your area of expertise."

"That…" Steven started, paused, and blinked a few times to himself, "Is not what I was saying at all. Did reporters bother us like this before?"

"On occasion, but nothing this full blown out," May said. She egged Latias to make a sharp dip, causing Steven's to tighten his arms around May's waist. May only smirked over her shoulder. "They know we tend to escape from them like this with Latias and Latios, though, so this song and dance isn't horribly new news."

"Well, at least no one knows we're headed to Dewford," Steven said, attempting to sound matter-of-factly, "and thank goodness it isn't a terribly long flight."

He wasn't wrong. They could already see Dewford's beaches in the horizon, and slowly, several fishermen popped up in their line of vision.

"To play it safe, we should probably land as close as possible to the entrance of Granite Cave," May said.

Latias managed to land them practically in front of the cave's entrance, exactly what May had wanted. Steven had already prepared his flashlight, and they headed inside.

As they entered the cave, May couldn't help but feel her face growing warm as she remembered the reason they decided to come to Granite Cave. Yes, this was for Steven's sake and an attempt to return some of his memories, but specifically, memories of _her_. The first time May had come to Granite Cave, that had been when she met Steven for the first time, learned about the ancient Pokémon of Hoenn for the first time, and altogether when the journey for her had _truly_ started.

"So, where was it specifically that we met?" Steven asked as they walked along, jerking May out of her thoughts.

"Oh, uh, the large open room, with the huge murals," May responded, as they made their way down the cavern leading to said room. "You had been studying the walls when I came in. It wasn't anything particularly momentous, but it was still our first meeting, nonetheless," she added, trying to mentally punch out the Beautiflies that were invading her stomach.

They entered the large room, and May could hear Steven audibly gasp. She eyed him with peculiarity, but in an instant remembered that he had lost all memory of this place. She stopped walking and watched as he slowly continued to step forward, looking all around him. Essentially seeing this room for the first time at this point, May could only imagine the wonder that was going through the geology-enthusiast's brain.

Spinning on his heel to face May, Steven declared, "Let's have a battle!"

May only coughed awkwardly. "Um, what? All of a sudden?"

Steven had already drawn a Pokéball from within his jacket and said, "Doesn't it seem right? Here we are, where we first met, so why not engage in what ties us together? Besides, I'm sure a good battle would do us both some good."

May had to admit that Steven's rationality had a good point, although the words _engage in what ties us together_ were ringing in her ears the hardest. Before she could agree, Steven had already thrown his Pokéball between them, and the gray jewel Pokémon Carbink materialized before them.

"That's…strange, I don't ever remember raising a Carbink…" Steven started to say, and seemed as though he was going to continue to speak, but his voice trailed off as he stared intently at his rock and fairy typed Pokémon.

"Steven?" May asked, minor worry in her voice, "Steven, you okay?"

"I think I…remember?"

May felt her chest tighten. "Steven, remember what?" she asked, voice growing with excitement. "Steven, what do you remember?"

Steven's lips were pressed tight, and pink spread across his whole face. "I caught this Carbink because it reminded me…of you."


	5. Extrasensory

**Please forgive me, but this chapter is almost 7k words long! It just kept coming, and it all needed to be in this chapter! At first, I thought this chapter put us about a quarter of the way through this story, but after some more plot analysis, I don't know if we're quite there yet (and I hope that isn't overwhelming for you as the reader!) I haven't gotten to individually replying to some of you yet, but I'd like to emphasize how much I appreciate your support in writing this story, and how much it means to me! Updates will be more frequent starting in May, as then I'll be far less busy with school and work. But until then, please enjoy this latest installment!**

* * *

Of Hoops and Holists - Chapter Five

Steven had left more than just a Pokéball and a letter.

* * *

"Ehhh?" was all May could muster in response to Steven's sudden announcement of recollection.

"Sorry, ahh…" Steven bumbled, his face as pink as a Jigglypuff, "but give me a moment," he managed to say, bringing a fist to his chin, covering his mouth. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes shut tightly. His Carbink spun around and floated up to him, curious as to why its trainer called it out. Feeling its presence, Steven opened his eyes and studied his Pokémon, and his fading blush immediately came back.

"See, its big, flat, rhomboid ears? And this light-blue crystal that sits between them?" Steven asked, motioning his hands around the top part of the Pokémon. Carbink simply closed its eyes gleefully in response. May could merely manage to continue to stare at him warily, her face a mix of shock and embarrassment.

"I was in Kalos for awhile, excavating in Reflection Cave," Steven began to explain, now holding his Carbink in his hands and looking down at it, "when I came across this Carbink. I never really thought I'd raise a fairy type, but…the Pokémon is born from high temperatures and pressures underground, and that in and of itself is fascinating, but, well, the less technical side of it is…"

May subconsciously raised her hands to her hair bow and tugged on the ends, and when she noticed the way Steven's lips pressed tightly together, it suddenly all clicked for her, and her face's coloring only took a moment to match his.

"Steven, that's…incredibly…_sentimental_…of you," May managed to say, trying to take in the cheesy realization that just occurred. "But, I mean, I'm sure that's just an…added bonus, because Carbink really is right up your alley of interests…"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

They hadn't heard any footsteps previous to the sudden voice. May and Steven both froze, and simultaneously turned their heads to see where the unamused voice came from and who was joining them in Granite Cave.

"H-hey, Maxie!" May pushed out in her most cheerful tune, turning her body to be more open to the ex-ecoterrorist and attempting to act as if nothing fishy was going on at all. "What's brought you to Granite Cave?"

Maxie evidently hadn't been expecting such a greeting, as his mouth fell open slightly agape and he blinked once, before bringing a fist to his chin and clearing his throat, "Greetings, Miss Maple. I thought I'd stop by to examine the walls in this room a bit. I've never been able to just come and fully appreciate the depictions here."

"Oh, well, in that case, don't let us get in your way," Steven immediately replied, grabbing May's hand, his Carbink in the other arm, prepping to leave the cave's room.

"Just-" Maxie immediately snapped, and May felt another hand grasp hers firmly, causing a chain reaction of Steven being forced to stop in his tracks, "wait a moment, Mr. Stone. I'd like a moment, while I have the two of you."

Steven squeezed May's hand before letting go, retrieved his Carbink back to its Pokéball, and unnecessarily cleared his throat. Maxie then also let go of May's hand in an instant, then straightening his jacket and sleeves. In the blink of an eye, he took back to his signature composed stature of hands behind his back.

"Miss Maple…how have things been for you lately?" Maxie asked, his voice now taking a surprisingly relaxed tone.

"Uhm, I've been okay, I guess?" May answered cautiously, "and yourself?"

Recognizing that this dialogue wasn't actually going to involve him, Steven excused himself to get closer to the murals on the walls, but made sure that he was still within earshot of their conversation in case he felt the need to intervene.

"I've been alright. What I'd really like to discuss with you, though, are these disturbances in Hoenn," Maxie said, bringing a hand to adjust his glasses out of habit.

"Uh, disturbances?" May asked. She had an idea of what he was talking about, but she also didn't want to assume things with Maxie, and be wrong.

"Surely," he continued, "Someone such as _yourself_ is familiar with the _islands_."

"Oh…yes, but what of them?" May asked. Again, being cautious, as to not divulge too much information yet. Sure, Maxie wasn't exactly a bad guy, but whether she could trust him? Still debatable.

"Team Magma's recon had informed me that various Pokémon of lore had been found on some of these islands, most notably, Pokémon not depicted in lore of Hoenn, but other regions from the nation," Maxie elaborated. "They don't all always have legendary Pokémon, and we still don't know how many various different islands have been brought here. Courtney and I decided to do some recon on one of the islands that appeared…" Maxie continued to describe, taking a moment to pause, "and we encountered a Pokémon we believe to be from lore, and not of this region. It approached Courtney, and it had some kind of an effect on her, of what I'm not sure. However, her mannerisms have completely changed in how she conducts herself and within Team Magma."

"Mannerisms?" May asked, this story taking a turn that now piqued her interest, "so…this Pokémon did something to her, that changed…the way she acts?"

"In an attempt to elaborate," Maxie continued, his voice taking on a strained inflection, "She has come across as…apathetic beyond measure. Being in an organization like Team Magma, to be motivated to join such an organization, while we hold ourselves to a certain degree and expectation, it takes a certain amount of _passion_ to align with us. Despite the tone I set for our organization, one does not join Team Magma for personal intellectual development. Joining Team Magma is about seeing a similar vision, and joining a cause for the betterment of a whole. It is irrefutable that passion is a necessary element in this organizational engagement..."

Steven's Pokénav started to ring, the sound causing him to jump back, disturbing him from observing the murals and eavesdropping on the conversation. Steven looked to see who was calling before answering, and it was Wallace.

"Wallace, what do you have for me?" Steven said in a hushed tone, bypassing a greeting and keeping his voice low, as to not disrupt May and Maxie and to hopefully still listen in on them.

"Hello to you, too. I just got off the phone with Cynthia, and she immediately extended an invitation for you to come to Sinnoh. She said if you can find your way there, she'll front your stay in the Hotel Grand Lake."

"I assume that because she's extending this invitation, that there is something needed to be explained in detail, or somewhere we need to explore?"

"She didn't say. I'd still call her yourself, though, so you can get the details worked out. I already communicated with the S.S. Tidal in Lilicove, and they apparently have a ship that goes to Sunyshore on the weekends. So it sounds like you'll be set for both your travel and stay in the next couple of days."

"Did you make sure May could come with me?" Steven asked next.

"…I did not, but _you_ need to call Cynthia and make those arrangements, Steven. You need to be able to talk to her."

Steven's forehead creased and he felt a knot in his stomach. "I know. I just want to be able to go over to Sinnoh and study without hindrance."

"I know, Steven. Enough of that, we'll talk more later. Are you in Granite Cave? Any updates?"

Steven let out a small sigh and turned to look back at Maxie and May, who seemed to be engaging in civil conversation, dare he interpret it as somewhat _more_ than civil. "Yes, we're in Granite Cave, and Maxie of Team Magma is here. He's talking it up with May right now."

"_Oh_," Wallace slipped, "Do I need to let you go?"

"No, not just yet," Steven said, keeping a watchful eye on May and Maxie. He sure was adjusting his glasses a lot and…did May just _giggle_? "I've remembered some things. But…they're confusing. And I think that has to do with triggers…and not having all the pieces yet…" he tried to conclude, but his fragments and thought processes were clearly cut up pieces of thoughts, this being a combination of both only having parts of memories and being distracted with trying to keep tabs on May.

"Okay, that _kind_ of makes sense…" Wallace replied, "but I'm going to need you to elaborate just a _little_ more."

"Go, Swampert!" chimed May's voice, instantly snagging Steven's attention. He covered the receiver of the Pokénav as he turned his head and mumbled "Oh, what in Arceus' name…" only to see May's Swampert face to face with Maxie's Camerupt.

"Don't think you've won this battle merely because you have the upper hand by type advantage, Miss May," Maxie retorted back at May after seeing her choice in opposing Pokémon.

"Oh, for the love of Arceus, they're having a battle," Steven muttered into the Pokénav, "Wallace, give me a moment to exit this room while they're _squabbling_."

"I don't know, Steven, sounds to me like it's a battle for the sake of battling," Wallace replied, "you may not remember, but that's just how May is. She's been spending an awful lot of time battling with all sorts of people at the Battle Resort."

Steven looked back briefly at May before stepping out of the mural room in order to better conduct his call with Wallace. Her face was definitely full of determination, and not a hint of malice. "I know, I just can't help feeling like…"

"You're missing out?"

"I really hate how well we know each other, sometimes."

"I know. Even with some of your memories gone, you're still the same Steven," Wallace said, "you're upset because the purpose of going to Granite Cave was for the two of you to be there together, and now Maxie's shown up and taken all of her attention away, believe me, I get it."

"I don't know that _upset_ is the word I would use…" Steven quickly added.

"Forgive me for assuming," Wallace said, "but you're evidently feeling in _some_ kind of way."

Instead of leaving completely, Steven found himself hanging in the narrow entrance to the large mural room so he could keep an eye on their battle. Both Pokémon looked worn, but Swampert definitely looked like it could still tough it out for awhile. At first, Steven wanted nothing to do with their battle, not particularly caring for Maxie, but that thought process led to a shifting attitude of not wanting to leave them alone together.

Wait.

No, Steven was _undoubtedly_ jumping to irrational conclusions.

Maxie, leader of Team Magma, _surely_ wasn't the reason May stopped him last night…right?

"Steven?"

Quickly shaking his head to snap himself back at Wallace's attention, Steven found his hand rubbing his eyes, forefinger and thumb coming together to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Sorry, where were we?" Steven asked.

"You were about to explain that you've gotten some of your memories back," Wallace reminded him.

"Oh, right…I remember…May…" Steven said softly, trying his best to make sense of the fragments of information he felt like he was reaching to understand, "or rather, I remember _meeting_ May, here, in Granite Cave. And…I tried to have a battle with her, before Maxie got here anyway, and I have a Carbink, Wallace. A Carbink! That cute rock fairy Pokémon from Kalos! And I caught it because…well, besides its biological makeup closely resembling that of many gemstones, the top of its head, it reminded me of May…"

"Gosh, is _that so_?" Wallace responded sarcastically, audibly proving he was failing to hold back a small laugh. "So you're saying that you think these physical things triggered recollection of these events?"

"I guess so?" Steven said as more of a question than an answer. "I can't fathom another explanation for this right now. Processing these new, or rather, _old_ memories as they come, is an eventful feeling in and of itself, and I'm just trying to do the best I can to make sense of them."

Steven could hear Wallace hum on the other end, before saying, "Well, you've still got a solid day before the ferry leaves for Sunyshore," Wallace informed him. "Perhaps it would be in your best interest to tour other places of interest around Hoenn with May? It sounds like it did something for you."

"I would say it's certainly worth a shot," Steven responded, but then paused for a moment to think, "but…should I be dragging May around like this?"

"Steven, what do you mean?" Wallace asked, his voice full of inquiry, "May agreed to travel with you for this purpose, of getting your memories back."

Steven glanced over at their battle again, He must have missed Swampert fainting or getting too weak, because May had switched over to her Altaria, who was now gracefully spinning through the air in combat with Maxie's Crobat. "I understand that, but I can't help but feel that I should confirm with her again that this is what she wants to spend her time doing."

Steven was about to continue, but paused as he noticed the silence in the other voices in the cavern. When he turned his head to look, he saw both May and Maxie looking over at him, and May was beginning to approach him. "Wallace, I think I'm going to have to let you go, but we'll be in touch again soon."

Steven heard a quick "Well good luck!" before he ended the call, and straightened his jacket as May got closer, but then noticed that Maxie was also approaching.

"Mr. Stone," Maxie began, "I have reason to believe that we may have similar situations on our hands."

Steven eyed Maxie cautiously and replied, "Please, it's Steven…" He gave May an unsure look through slitted eyes, and she motioned back with leaning her head toward Maxie, giving him a "really?" look. "I'm sorry," Steven said, finding it best to do what was in May's interest, "continue."

Maxie cleared his throat and shifted his glasses slightly lower on his nose to look back at the speculative Steven. "One of my administrative officers came into contact with a Pokémon similar and potentially related to a Pokémon with which you've come into contact."

Steven's eyes widened, and he immediately looked at May for a reaction.

"It sounds like this Pokémon was about the same size as Uxie, but with a pink head, instead of yellow," May reiterated to Steven. "The body is the same color, and the same two tails. They're too similar to not be connected somehow."

"From my understanding, Steven, you still have retained our personality, yes?" Maxie asked, his voice again taking on a tone Steven had not expected of the older man.

"You'd be correct," Steven replied cautiously, "I'm unsure of just how much May has told you, but we understand that when I came into contact with Uxie, that my memories were either taken, or hidden. However…" he continued, about to make a connection that would possibly continue to help clean up some understandings, "after coming here to Granite Cave, I have reason to believe that they were hidden, stored away in my brain somehow."

Maxie nodded in response. "That is at least reassuring," he said. "I'm sorry about your present struggles, but I'm glad to hear you're making some kind of a recovery. I hope the same can be said of my administrative officer."

Steven sighed, his brow furrowed, trying to understand how these pieces could potentially fit together. "If the Pokémon they did come in to contact is indeed related to Uxie somehow," he said, "and potentially part of this _one of three_ business, then that means it's from Sinnoh." He then looked over to May as if to confirm and said, "May and I were just extended an invitation to Sinnoh to do more research on the lore of their Pokémon." He tried to gauge May's face as he continued, "If she wants to go, of course. But I feel as though there is a lot of information that we can uncover both about our personal situations, and this Hoenn situation on our hands, by going overseas."

May beamed back at Maxie and said, "Maxie, I'm sure Courtney will be okay as long as you're there to help her! I know she really looks up to you. If you're willing to be patient, I'll bet that she'll make progress if you are there by her side."

"A-ah," Maxie muttered, a hand shooting up to readjust his glasses, but mostly to cover a somewhat flustered face at May's forwardness and eager attitude, "Yes, of course. I'm pleased to have run into the two of you. Please keep me informed of your findings after today." Maxie started to excuse himself, but turned toward them again and said, "May, you know where to find me."

May put on a cheeky smile and just waved as Maxie left, and Steven immediately responded with a look of scrutiny.

Steven spoke with a grunt the moment the Team Magma leader was out of sight, "So…you two seem to be…_well_."

May looked back at him with question, but it only took her a moment to understand what he was implying. "You didn't have to leave while we were battling, you know," May said.

"He's far too old for you," Steven blurted, attempting an aloof tone, but failing, and now trying to suppress the heat running to his cheeks at his abrupt unintended scolding. "I-I mean…"

"Excuse me?" May immediately quipped back, her voice loud enough to give off a soft echo in the open room, ears a sudden red. "What on _earth_ are you saying? And _you're_ not too old for me?"

A jolt ran up Steven's spine, and he found himself frozen by the banter. "J-just, _what_ are _you_ saying?"

May snapped her head back forward with a 'hmph,' and said with an incredible amount of attitude, "I think if you're able to enjoy a drink together, then age doesn't particularly matter." Thinking she'd won, she looked over at Steven, but he wasn't looking back at her. Instead, he was staring at the exit to the cavern, where Maxie had just left.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," Steven muttered, "that was a peculiar thing to get defensive about, and it was completely out of my place."

May sighed, and said, "You're right, it was." Before Steven could react to her completely apathetic tone, she had appeared right in front of his vision, hands on her hips, looking up at him expectantly. "Alright, Steven. What was all of this about going to Sinnoh?"

He couldn't help his cheeks from being dusted pink. Why had he spoken like that? It was completely out of line, not to mention rude. Steven blinked a few times at the spunky brunette, registering what she had asked, having so quickly rebounded from the conversation prior. "Ah, right. While you and Maxie were battling, I was speaking with Wallace," Steven explained. "He contacted an old acquaintance of mine from Sinnoh, and apparently she immediately made arrangements for us to spend time in the region to do research on potential connections."

"Right. _If_ I want to come with, if I remember what you said earlier correctly," May said flatly in return, turning her body so as to no longer be completely forward facing him, looking away at the murals in the cavern.

Blinking, and swallowing hard, Steven carefully decided as to how to articulate his next sentence. He had no intention of going to Sinnoh without her. Yes, he'd still go, but that certainly wasn't ideal. "May," he started, trying to push away the embarrassment of how his sentence was going to sound, "I remember meeting you. Coming here with you, I'm fairly certain triggered my memories of being here with you, and our first encounter."

With this confession, it didn't take May long at all to change her demeanor into one of suppressed anticipation. "You mean…it worked?" She asked, trying her hardest to not seem too enthusiastic, "You remember…actually meeting me here?"

Steven tugged at his collar a bit and scratched at his neck, taking a deep breath before attempting to respond. "The ferry for Sinnoh doesn't leave for another day. If you're up to it, of course, I was hoping that you could take me to other areas of Hoenn that we've spent time together, to hopefully jog my memory some more?"

"Steven, you know I'm going to," May replied bashfully. "I'm not upset with you. I'm trying my best to be patient. Plus, I've never been to Sinnoh…"

"Sinnoh is okay," Steven quickly piped. "I had used to want to spend an elongated amount of time there, because of its rich history and immense underground system for tunneling and rock hunting. It's a plethora of rare stones. But the climate is practically unbearable for a Hoenn native. At least I still have a list of dependable contacts for our visit."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" May said, smiling warmly back at Steven, and began to walk backward out of the cavern while still facing him. "It is getting late, though. We'll crash at the Pokémon Center here on the island and take off in the morning?"

"That seems ideal," Steven said, beginning to follow her, when a thought had occurred to him. "Remember that letter you were sent to deliver to me from my father? The reason we met in the first place? I'll never forget what he wrote."

May just looked at the silver-haired man oddly as he had a sort of twisted grin on his face. "Okay…well, what did he say?"

"Here I thought it was going to be something crucial to the business, or some other Devon Co. matters that needed my attention. But no. It was just him being my father. It said," and Steven lowered his voice, adding a raspiness as if to try to mock his father, "I know hearing from you is Onix-pected, but as your father, I Steelix-pect you to stay in touch every so often."

Steven hung his head low as he continued to follow May out of the cave, trying to keep from the laughter at what he thought was such a bad pun, and unable to look at May in moderate fear of what she'd think of the terrible joke.

"So…you're telling me…" May started to speak, still trying to walk, but finding it difficult at her realization, "that your dad sent me, the girl he had just met, across an ocean route to an island I had never been to and through a cave I had never heard of, to deliver you a _**dad joke**_?!"

Steven finally spilled a "pfb" before he found a hand covering his chuckling, while May only looked at him flustered as they exited Granite Cave.

Once they got to the Pokémon Center, Steven excused himself to use the PC to make a call, so May took to reserving rooms for them. Wallace _had_ said that he'd need to call Cynthia himself to make sure their plans were finalized.

It only took two rings before the video call was answered, the young blonde champion visualizing on the PC monitor. "Steven!" Cynthia greeted, "It's good to see you. I'm assuming you spoke with Wallace."

"Good evening, Cynthia," Steven curtly replied, "I was just checking to confirm plans for this weekend."

"Yes, of course! I've already reserved a room for you at Hotel Grand Lake."

"Right, about that," Steven attempted to speak as non-awkwardly as possible, "I'm going to need two rooms at the hotel. I'm not certain as to how much Wallace told you, but I have someone traveling with me."

Even though the connection wasn't the best, Steven could still make out Cynthia squinting her eyes at him at his reveal of information. "Is that so…" she drawled, "Champion-loner Steven Stone is now officially accompanied by someone?"

Steven subconsciously cleared his throat, and brought a hand to scratch the back of his head before saying, "Actually, Cynthia, I'm _not_ the Champion anymore…"

"Well, it's about time," Cynthia cooed, "how long has it been, five years? So tell me, who's the lucky Psyduck that managed to take you off your throne?"

As if on cue, May walked up to Steven at the PC, holding out two old-looking keys.

"Ah, May, this is Cynthia," he said, motioning her toward the PC monitor, "Cynthia, this is May, the current Champion of Hoenn, and my traveling companion."

'_Traveling companion?'_ May couldn't help but immediately question to herself.

"Oh, _that_ May?" Cynthia said. "It's good to finally put a face to the name. I've heard all about you and your calming of the legendary beasts over there. I look forward to meeting you this weekend."

"I look forward to meeting you, too," May respectfully replied, even though she still had no idea who this woman was.

"Well, I'll let you two go, as I'm sure you've got plenty of preparations to make tomorrow before you head this way. It's been awfully cold lately, so you'd be wise to bring at least a coat. I'll be seeing you in the next few days."

_Beep beep beep_.

Steven turned to look at May, who had a mildly perplexed look on her face. "Your Sinnoh contact?" she asked.

"Oh, right, yes, sorry," Steven babbled, realizing May had no idea who that was, "That was Cynthia, Champion of the Sinnoh region. We…did quite a bit of exploration there together, and she helped me to become acquainted with the region."

"Oh, okay, well," May said, taking one of the two keys into her other hand, and then extending it toward him, "Here's your key for our room. Dibs on the top bunk!"

May had already started to skip to the back of the center, as she barely heard Steven call out to her, "Wait, we're staying in the same room?"

When Steven found May in one of the lodging rooms, he was baffled to see that she had already changed into her pajama set and was making the bed of the top bunk for herself. She had wasted no time. Trying to avert his eyes from staring, May immediately caught on and asked, "What, have you never stayed in a Pokémon Center before?"

"I'll have to admit, it's certainly been awhile," Steven said, letting his backpack slip off of his shoulders onto the floor next to the bottom bed, and allowed himself to have a seat on the bunk. "You're sure you're okay sharing a room with me like this?"

"What do you mean _like_ _this_?" May's voice came from above, "it's not like we're sharing a bed or anything. It's just like a sleepover. And this way we can still chat about tomorrow and this weekend before we go to bed."

Steven couldn't help but feel his chest tighten at the thought of legitimately sharing a room with May, even though she was appearing to not have an issue with it in the slightest. This tightening in his chest only grew stronger as the young Champion's grinning face appeared before him upside-down from the top bunk.

"Yes, yes, okay, it's just like a sleepover," Steven said, still not convinced. He unzipped his backpack, withdrawing a sleeveless shirt and pajama pants. "I suppose, excuse me while I change."

As soon as Steven disappeared in the bathroom, May couldn't help but smother her face in her pillow. It had to have been adrenaline that got her to say all that stuff about tonight being like a sleepover and acting like a youngster. Who was she kidding? She was probably freaking out in her mind just as much as he also probably was. Then again, it really shouldn't have been that big of a deal, as they were both mature (at least, _somewhat_ mature, in May's mind) adults who were traveling together for the sake of the region and their own personal wellbeing. Potentially awkward young adult feelings aside, there really wasn't anything to be embarrassed by, right?

May had promised herself to not stare too much when Steven came back out of the bathroom, but that again, was difficult. Seeing his bare arms in what little moonlight came through the window was enough for May to bring her pillow into her face once more out of sheer self-conscious blushing.

Steven crawled into the bottom bunk, trying to get comfortable in the public lodging. "So, what were you thinking of for us to do tomorrow?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"Please don't laugh for me remembering it so well," May said, "but we met again on Route 118. We weren't there for long though. Latios came to us seeking help, and we flew with him to the Southern Island, where we saved Latias. You also…gave me my Mega Bracelet at that time."

Steven felt his face get warm, and was thankful for May being in the top bunk so she couldn't see his face. It was hard hearing about instances of interaction with her that he couldn't even remember, and it made him flustered beyond his comprehension. At least now, he could remember their first meeting. Just the idea of remembering more about the girl who put such raw feelings into his chest and stomach made his head spin.

"I really should be thanking you, May," Steven eventually responded, "you've really been helping me so much through all of this, and I really am grateful. I can't imagine how much this has been testing your patience."

He never heard a vocal response, and took that as a sign to stop talking because May had probably fallen asleep. It took him a bit longer thanks to his anticipation for the next day, but Steven eventually followed in slumber.

The next day played out practically without a hitch. May and Steven got an early start, and flew straight to Southern Island, a two hour flight, where May and Steven had faced the eco-terrorists two years ago, in order to rescue Latias. They explored the island together, and at one point, had to stop for Steven as he tried to handle the influx of memories rushing into his head. He didn't describe it as being painful, which was relieving to May, but he said it still was an overwhelming experience that he wasn't sure exactly how to articulate.

"Latios is nearby," Steven said.

May quickly turned to him and asked, "What? How can you tell?"

"Because he's here reminding me of things telepathically," Steven said slowly. "I also remember what he told us the first time we came to this island together, and the message now makes sense. It was almost as if Latios gave us an omen."

It was then May's turn to listen to the message sent to her mind through the Eon Pokémon, and she repeated out loud, coming to an understanding of what Steven meant, "Those whose memories fade, seek to carve them in their hearts…."

May was starting to think that there was a rhyme and reason as to why the duo of Eon Pokémon were purposefully keeping the she and the Devon heir together throughout their journeys of Hoenn. "I think, and I can't explain it, but I'm being told something else now too," May said slowly, turning to look questioningly at Steven and asked, "Have you had any…dreams lately?"

Steven returned her questioning look and replied, "None that I can particularly recall, why?"

May did her best to repeat the message that was sent straight to her mind by one of the Eon Pokémon. "All dreams are but another reality. Never forget…"

A rush of wind swept past, and Latias appeared before them, as if she was trying to tell them something, or let them know that she was ready to leave the island when they were ready. Approaching the red and white Pokémon slowly, May approached her and placed her hands on the sides of Latias' face and whispered, "You're only able to tell us certain things, aren't you?" Latias only looked back into May's eyes, but May could understand. She closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to Latias. "Thanks for at least this much, Latias. I really do love you. You've done so much for us as it is."

After a moment, May turned to Steven and despite his apparent look of awe, said to him, "I think it's time for us to go to Lilycove."

That evening, they returned to Lilycove City, to grab a quick dinner and do some shopping at the department store. May didn't really have winter clothes, and she understood that she'd need a decent jacket or coat before venturing out to Sinnoh for the first time.

They stayed at the local Pokémon Center again that night, Steven having to get over himself for the second night in a row. The young silver-haired man found himself unable to sleep right away again that night, and maybe this time it was a combination of May being directly above him, and the unknown of what their upcoming trip would bring. He could remember at least some more things about May – how passionate of a trainer she was even back when she was a greenhorn, and she exemplified her love for Pokémon today with Latias. Just with these few memories he'd been able to retain, he found himself wondering just what else he had to remember about May.

"Steven?" May's voice came out in a small ring.

"Yes?"

"What's Cynthia like?"

"Well," Steven paused to think, "I haven't really given her personality thought. She's…independent…strong…foreboding."

May had to muster courage to ask her next question, because she knew if she didn't ask, she'd keep making assumptions in her head about potentials. "So…how did you and Cynthia meet?"

"Ah…" she heard him start, and she flipped her torso to the side of the bunk so she could look at him upside-down while he spoke. "It wasn't anything momentous. It was at a National League Conference, and I was seeking out Sinnoh contacts in my desire to travel there to do research and explore. We met at a Champion's mixer…and that's pretty much it."

'_That's pretty much it?_ 'May couldn't help but repeat in her mind. For some reason, ending his sentence that way was instilling ideas in her brain that that really _wasn't_ it, but she didn't want to pry anymore.

"Oh, okay," she responded flatly, removing herself from the side and nestling back into her sleeping bag, "I was just curious."

The room was silent for some time after that. May tried to convince herself that she had asked perfectly normal questions – after all, she was about to go meet this Cynthia person, and she couldn't recall Steven ever mentioning her before. But for that reason, she felt like asking too much had the potential to be weird, and she didn't want Steven to get ideas about why she was asking those types of questions. May had just about convinced herself to talk to Steven again, but this time when she flipped her body over to look at him, she saw his sleeping face, and his chest deeply rising and falling. Snuggling once again back into her sleeping bag, she decided she could ask him more about Kalos in the daylight.

Sleep eventually found both of them, as it was much needed, but Steven was a light sleeper. He would wake up every so often, shift one way or the other in the unfamiliar bed, and then drift off again. However, there was one time that he faded awake, that he heard an awful lot of tossing and turning above him.

"May?" Steven dozily called out, but he received no answer. Rolling on his side to attempt sleep once more, it didn't come, and the stirring above him still hadn't stopped.

"May…" Steven tried to voice a little louder, "Are you okay?"

The sound of her restlessness only continued, and if anything, seemed to be becoming more forceful. Steven pushed himself to feel more awake, and rolled out of his bunk so that he could check on her. When he stood up, his breath got caught in his chest at the sight of May's restless body and fast, heavy breathing. Her body was violently tossing her limbs about, and between every few breaths were incoherent utters that were close but not quite words.

After a split second of panic, Steven no longer hesitated to grab her wrist in an attempt of _something_. But the moment he made that physical contact with her, her arm ripped from his hand, body viciously recoiled into the cornered wall, and her voice screamed his name, piercing his heart.

May stared back at Steven with large, pained eyes. Her breathing heaved her entire body up and down, and her hands tightly gripped the side poles of the top bunk. After an uncomfortable moment of registering her awoken face, Steven could see her bangs sticking to her sweat-covered face.

"Steven?" she barely breathed, the look in her eyes unchanging and her body continuing it's rough continuous movement.

"Yes, May, it's me," Steven answered slowly, unsure of what to do. She had just ripped her body away from him, but that was in waking up from whatever night terror she was suffering from, and she was clearly still trying to handle the aftereffects.

"…Steven?" this time a broken whisper, her breathing starting to calm, but Steven noticed the tears starting to stream down her paled face.

"May? May, please, yes, it's me. It's Steven. I'm right here." Steven tried approaching the foot of the bed, both taking more space from her, but also offering her the option. Instincts were kicking in at this point, and Steven concealed all his nerves to do so. "Come down, please, into my arms. I'm right here. Let me try to help."

May swallowed hard, and even though it felt painful to do so, forced herself to remove her grip from the side poles of the top bunk, and slowly crawled toward the edge, away from the headboard to the ladder, where Steven patiently waited for her. Gradually and cautiously, May lowered herself two rungs on the ladder before letting Steven take her into his arms. Despite letting him carry her, May's body jerked at first at the touch, and shivered in his arms, obviously still recovering. He took haste in bringing her into the bottom bunk with him, taking care in letting her decide how she wanted to arrange herself in the bed with him, as he set her down inside the bunk, and crawled in next to her.

As soon as Steven placed himself sitting next to May, she carefully touched his arm, as if making sure he was real. He tried to look at her as soothingly as possible, entirely unsure of how to move forward at this point, but she only kept her head downcast. He wanted to just sweep her up in his arms again, but he knew that whatever she was going through in that moment needed to be taken at whatever speed and comfort level that she was okay with.

May's hand eventually settled on Steven's forearm, and in an instant, May had tucked herself under his arm, head in his chest, arm now around his lower back. It took him a moment, but he encompassed her in his arms, one hand brushing through her matted hair. He had no idea what was going on. All he knew was that May needed him in that moment, in some sort of fashion, and he was going to try his best to provide.

"May, what do you need from me?" he tried asking, and he felt her body twitch when he asked. Realizing she wasn't going to verbally respond, he spoke again, "I know you might not want to try sleeping again right away, but we should at least try getting more comfortable, okay?"

Understanding that much, May barely pulled herself away, allowing Steven to prop himself up against the corner wall with a pillow. There was some nervous hesitation, but May began to settle back against Steven, covering him with both her body and the blanket that she tugged over her shoulders. Steven wrapped his arms around her waist, hooking his thumb into the waistband of his pajama pants. Even though she jostled sometimes throughout the night, at least her breathing was calmer now. Despite being a light sleeper, Steven was the first to fall asleep like this, eventually followed by May.


	6. Ominous Wind

As always, thanks so much to everyone who has reviewed, as I'm slowly but surely getting to replying to you! Reviews, faves and watches are really what help me chug through this, so it all means a lot to me. Enjoy this latest installment!

* * *

_Of Hoops and Holists – Chapter Six_

_Steven had left more than just a Pokéball and a letter._

* * *

As sunlight started to filter into the room, Steven strung his fingers through May's hair in a daze. He had been up for awhile, and could tell that it was still fairly early in the morning. They had set an alarm so that they'd have enough time to catch their ferry to Sinnoh, but truthfully, he was not feeling mentally prepared for May to wake up. He continued to run his fingers through her hair, as that felt safe for now, but how was he supposed to greet her when she woke up? How would she react when she woke up? Steven couldn't help but wonder if he should have handled last night differently, or if there were any other way that last night was supposed to play out. Not to overreact, but whatever was going on in her nightmare seemed to have been pretty severe, and had a punishing effect on her.

Steven dipped his head down, bringing his face to her hair, and subconsciously wrapped his arms around her waist again, holding her tighter. He took a deep breath in, still trying to contemplate the night before.

May started to stir in his arms, and Steven naturally tensed. He slowly retracted his arms from her waist, wanting to give her enough leeway to move, but May's reaction was grabbing his arms and holding them around her. This utterly shocked Steven, and he tried his absolute best to conduct himself as gentlemanly as possible, despite fighting naturally occurring morning arousal.

"…Good morning," he managed to say, his voice lower than usual and with a touch of grit from just waking up.

"Steven…" May murmured, tightening her arms around his, and drowsily asked, "do you remember what happened to me last night?"

Steven felt his heart become heavy at her question, and asked in return, "Do you…_not_ remember what happened?"

May slipped out of Steven's arms, shifting her body just enough away so she could flip around to face him. She sat hunched over on her knees, and wrapped the blanket over her head, hiding almost her whole body aside from her face. Steven wriggled his body to better sit and face her as she spoke. "I don't know how to describe it…as something other than an episode," May essentially whispered, keeping her eyes downcast, "I'm…really sorry you had to see that, and deal with me…"

"Sorry?" Steven immediately repeated, "May, you have nothing for which to apologize." He drew a hand toward the top of May's head to tug the blanket away just enough to better see her. "Has something like this…happened before?"

Keeping her head low, May nodded in the ever slightest as a response. "I don't want you to feel like I'm prying, but for how long have you been having these…_episodes_?" Steven asked, making sure to use the same language that May chose to use in describing the occurrence.

"Oh," May began, her head briefly lifting to look at Steven's face, but her eyes shifting downcast again soon following, "I know that it's been ever since I fought Deoxys in space with Rayquaza, so…four-five-ish months? Sometimes it's days at a time, and some weeks I go forgetting that this is even something that happens. I normally let out some of my Pokémon to sleep with me most nights, so that they can wake me up when I'm having an attack…so I'm lucky that I had you last night."

Steven swallowed hard, and tilted his head to the side, brows furrowed in automatic concern. Before he could ask though, May spoke up again as if to answer his facial cues, "Yes, I'm pretty sure it's PTSD. And yes, I've seen a doctor. But," she paused, a little bit of her quirky personality coming back to her face, "do you have any idea how difficult it is to seek treatment for that kind of stuff when the whole region is watching you? I had to pretend I caught Pokérus in order to stay off the radar!"

His look of concern turned into a soft smile, that soft smile that May realized was melting her heart every time she saw it. "I can't say that I've had to handle anything quite like that," Steven admitted cheekily, wanting to encourage May's start at a mood shift, "but I can say that I'm incredibly proud of you for taking steps to get the help you need. I have no idea nor have I had any idea of what you've been going through, May, and I cannot begin to fathom what all of this must be like for you."

May puffed her cheeks out and cast her eyes to the side in a squint, but at least her head was in a neutral position now, and not so low. "Yeah, yeah," she said, removing a hand from within the blanket to motion a wave, "Like I said, I'm lucky that I had you. This is super embarrassing as a whole, just to even talk about and admit, but…" she dipped her head a tad and looked at Steven from under her eyelashes, "I really appreciate it. I mean – I appreciate you, for being there, for me."

Following her awkward thanks, May's eyes shyly lowered back down into her lap, but her body twitched and her heart skipped a beat at the contact of Steven's hand on her cheek. She looked up, and saw Steven leaning in towards her, the back of his fingers gently caressing the side of her face. May's grip on the blanket loosened in surprise as she inhaled, and it slipped off from over her head and shoulders. She tried to fight the Beautiflies in her stomach that the contact had given her, and instead place the look on Steven's face.

That is, until her Pokénav's morning alarm went off with a loud ringing, leading to a startled May who nearly fell slipping out of the bed in a surprised and clumsy jolt.

"Uh, we need to get ready to go!" May blurted as she hastily grabbed her Pokénav to shut off the alarm, and started to grab a change of clothes, disappearing into the bathroom to change.

After the awkwardness of waiting for the bathroom and changing into new clothes for a new day, May and Steven were checked out of the Pokémon Center and on their way to Lilycove's harbor. Once they stepped inside, May had to rub her eyes at what she saw, and questioned if she had done a good enough job of washing her face that morning.

* * *

"Aye, Scamp! Surprise to see you on this trip! I hope you've grown your sea legs, cause this route ain't the prettiest of dames!"

His attire had become something more similar to that of Drake's, captain's hat and all, but it was in fact Archie of Team Aqua waiting for them on the deck of the small ferry that would take them to Sinnoh. May could faintly read "S.S. Safra," on the hull of the boat.

"Scamp?" Steven couldn't help but repeat in a questioning whisper at May, but she seemed to already be busy with greeting the captain of their trip.

"Archie? I wouldn't have ever guessed that you'd be directing a trip to Sinnoh," May replied in an upbeat manner.

"Aye, truthfully it's been quite a bit of time since I've actually traveled there myself, but…" he paused to let out a chuckle, a wide-toothed grin now stretched across his face, "when these sails caught wind of yer leavin' for there, I knew it was an adventure that I didn't want to miss."

What had started as scrutiny written on May's face had only taken that statement to transform into a look of determination. The young heroine leapt up the ramp onto the boat to join the side of their new captain, leaving Steven at the dock staring back in puzzlement.

May's voice chimed in a string of questions to the older sailor as Steven boarded the ship, and the plank was removed so they could leave the port.

"I hope you scallywags came prepared, because this route ain't exactly the most entertainin' of affairs," Archie said, setting himself up to steer the boat.

"Uh, right," May responded, her eyes wandering around the exterior of the boat, "I think I'll go get my things settled in the cabin."

May left for the cabin, leaving Steven alone with Archie. Steven figured he should at least make an attempt to get to know the man, considering they'd be spending the upcoming almost 48 hours together, and approached the sailor at the helm.

"So, _Mr. Stone_, I've heard you've been on quite the adventure as of late!" Archie bellowed as the young man appeared at his side.

"Please," Steven immediately responded, his voice a strange mix of apathy and desperation that only Steven could manage, "_Steven_ is fine. And yes, you're not wrong. Times have been quite eventful as of late. I'm sure you're at least vaguely familiar with the happenings lately about Hoenn?"

"Oh, more than vaguely," Archie answered, his voice lowered, as if not wanting someone to hear. "I've been out at sea and seen islands disappear before my very eyes. I've almost been taken by a few of 'em, to boot. But, I've gotta say," his voice picked back up to its usual rowdy excitement, "I can't help but envy you, Steven. Traveling about and making discoveries with Hoenn's sweetheart, and now leaving the region with her? Enough to make this old salt consider changing his lifestyle, I'll tell ya what."

Steven found himself absent-mindedly clearing his throat at that last remark, as he was wanting to get on with his wonderments. "I can't help but feel I should apologize for being the focal point of your lifestyle desires," Steven said as courteously as possible, wanting to maintain face with the older man. Sure, he seemed absolutely obscure, but that didn't mean he couldn't still be a resource. "I was hoping to ask you for more details regarding our trip. I'm aware that it takes two days to sail to Sinnoh, does it not? Do you intend to sail throughout the night?"

Archie gave a genuine chuckle, then answered, "Of course not! I ain't got any way to maintain secure sailing like that, and despite my perceived stamina at times, I'm still human. We stay overnight in Floe Island, south of the Kanto region. There's a bed and breakfast there that I love."

"Floe Island, eh? Isn't that part of the Sevii Islands?" Steven asked.

"You'd be right!" Archie thundered. "You probably remember hearing about them in the news, when they'd be havin' some major difficulties with criminal activity a few years ago, but I think that's all sunken by now."

"…criminal activity?" Steven couldn't help but ask again.

Archie side-eyed Steven for a moment before returning his face forward, and said, "Not quite like what the Hoenn region has dealt with, or other regions in the nation for that matter. Kanto and Johto, their crime is purely for the sake of crime and remaining powerful underground."

Steven thought for a moment, then replied, "Oh yes, now I believe I remember. Team Rocket, wasn't it? But they disbanded, correct?"

"Aye." Archie answered. "They lost traction after dealing with too much opposition from some youngsters who'd gone through the League challenge in those parts, pretty similar to our May, if you ask me."

Steven was about to question the language of "our" May, but it only took him a moment to realize what was really meant by that word. May had become pretty symbolic for the Hoenn region, that much was unquestionable.

"Speaking of," Archie spoke up again, breaking Steven's thoughts, "she's been cooped up awhile in the cabin, eh? Not quite like her if you ask me. You should go check on her. And maybe get some rest."

"Are you certain you don't want the company?" Steven couldn't help but ask. "I mean, of course I'm going to go check on May," he picked up quickly, but then added, "but for such a long trip, doesn't it get lonesome just being out here doing nothing but steering?"

Archie quickly emitted a soft chuckle, then answered, "Nonsense! This is my life, my love, being out here at sea. I'm just happy to get you scallywags to your destination safely. Now _you_, on the other hand, I'm sure you've got a long path ahead of you, wherever that may be. Now, go on," he said, shifting his head ever so slightly to give Steven a quick wink, "check on my Scamp, will ya?"

Steven nodded, and headed to the cabin. There he was with that "my" word, but Steven shook it off. It didn't seem threatening by any means, and even if it had, it wasn't like May was "his," either, by any stretch of the word.

* * *

"May?" Steven asked after knocking twice, and not hearing a response, cracked the door open and peeked into the cabin. There was May, sitting on the edge of the bed, hands folded in her lap. The cabin wasn't particularly large, and only had a chair at a small table, and a twin-sized bed at which May sat. "Can I come in?" he asked, a little louder to make sure she heard him over the sounds of the water hitting the ship.

May lifted her head at this, eyes wide from being slightly startled at the visitor. She only nodded slightly, and Steven slowly approached her, taking a seat next to her on the bed.

"Are you comfortable telling me what's going on?" Steven asked softly.

May audibly exhaled through her nose, and pressed her lips together in thought. After taking a deep breath, she asked timidly, "Promise not to laugh?"

"Of course I won't laugh," Steven immediately responded, despite not having any idea as to what nature May was going to speak.

"As you know, I didn't really sleep well last night, so I was thinking of taking a nap, but…" she trailed off, and she tightened her hands on the covers of the bed before she spoke again, "I'm honestly too scared to sleep right now. Last night was just so bad. I don't remember it being that bad before."

"Well…" Steven started, making sure to word his statements carefully, "would it help if I stayed here with you? Do you want me to wake you up if I notice anything?"

May darted her head up at him, eyes uncertain. "Steven…" she uttered, her voice clearly hesitant, "I can't ask you to do that…"

"Which is why I'm offering," Steven answered. "I feel like it's the least I can do, for everything you've done for me so far. Besides," he paused to grab his backpack, unzipping it and pulling out a rather large looking textbook, "I brought reading materials. I'll be fine."

Taking that as the okay, May lifted her legs up unto the bed and started to crawl under the covers. "Are you honestly reading a textbook for fun?" she asked him, attempting to sound peppy, but she knew he wouldn't believe her.

"Goodness, no," he responded, sounding almost aghast, "do I seem that dry? Yes, I enjoy reading periodicals and research, but nothing as elementary as a textbook for enjoyment. This is the quarterly report for Devon's research and finances."

"Sounds riveting," May flatly stated.

Steven cleared his throat, then said, "Hardly." Before May could give him a questioning look, he continued, "My father requested that I'm "well-versed" before the next company meeting."

May continued to look at him questioningly, then asked, "So…just what is happening with…all of that?"

Knowing exactly what she meant, Steven said, "To be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely sure yet myself. Part of me knows that taking over the business is inevitable, but, if you have yet to understand this of me, part of me has been avoiding all possibilities of the company falling into my lap."

"No…I've noticed.…and that…sucks…" May managed to say, before her eyelids became too heavy and sleep caught her. Steven cracked his book open and began reading his drab material, May seemed to be napping peacefully, and they were able to stay that way until evening when they arrived at their halfway destination.

* * *

Floe Island wasn't anything especially remarkable to look at. As Archie had told them, it was the smallest of the Sevii Islands, but he also reminded them that just because they were islands, they weren't huge tourist destinations by any means. The bed and breakfast on Floe island was more of a "just in case some travelers show up" sort of deal. Archie led them to the cottage that appeared to be the bed and breakfast that they were staying at for the night, and knocked a few times at the door.

The particularly busty woman with glasses who appeared from behind the door only needed a moment of realization to change her demeanor from unsure to enthusiasm upon seeing the crew. "Archie! And…Steven _Stone_?"

Archie gave a hearty laugh and slapped a hand on Steven's shoulder, saying, "Well you're just known all over the country, aren'tcha?"

Steven blinked a few times in shock and eventually processed, "Lorelei?"

The ex-elite then looked to May and said, "and this must be the new champion I've heard so much about. And by so much, I mean, you'd be surprised by the amount of gossip and tabloids that still manage to reach these islands." She then held the door open and shifted her body to the side to make room in the doorway. "It's an honor to have such esteemed guests from Hoenn visit our quant little island," Lorelei cooed, "please, make yourselves at home."

Based on her initial appearance, May was completely thrown by the inside of Lorelei's home. Despite it just being her living room, the space was completely covered in Pokémon dolls of all sizes, three of which being very large Lapras in the three corners of the room away from the main entrance. Lorelei just seemed so…cool, and her home looked so…_adorable_?

Archie was the first to let himself in, and made no hesitation in allowing himself to settle on a couch, immediately hugging one of the huge Lapras dolls. "I don't know what it is about these big dumb things, but I love them!" he boomed.

"Hey now, those are my prized possessions you're talking about, you know!" Lorelei immediately retorted.

"I know, I love 'em!" Archie said back, not understanding Lorelei's agitation.

Lorelei switched her attention over to Steven and May, who were still standing by the doorway, and said, "Please, sit anywhere you like! Are you hungry? I was just about to fix something up for tonight." Her kitchen was open with her living room, so Lorelei walked over and started looking through her cabinets. May took a seat on the couch by Archie, absentmindedly pulling a Froslass doll into her arms, and Steven sat across in a chair.

"So, Lorelei, running this bed and breakfast is what you've decided to do after retiring from the League?" Steven asked.

Lorelei was carrying over a bottle of wine and several glasses. "There were some _issues_ in the area, so at the time I had found it more important to spend the majority of my time here instead of with the League. And, not to correct you," she answered, setting the glasses out and began pouring the wine, "but I took a _leave_ from the Kanto-Johto Elite 4. I'm still technically a member of the League, and fill in spots as needed. I'm just not active."

"So, like a substitute of sorts," Steven mused, reaching for his glass, and after taking a taste, guessed, "Babiri?"

"Close, Salac," Archie corrected, also having taken a sip.

May remained relatively quiet. She still didn't really know who Lorelei was, or how Steven and Archie knew her. She definitely didn't drink enough regularly to guess the wine, let alone even know where to start. May was starting to feel somewhat naïve to boot, having been champion for so long, but not actually taking on any of the responsibilities, like going to conferences and networking with League members from other regions. She had a feeling they were going to keep running into people Steven knew, and of course they would all know whom _she_ was, and she'd have no idea who they were.

What an awful feeling.

She took a taste from her glass. She was a little surprised at how sweet it was for a red wine, and took another sip.

"So, Archie," May began, attempting to contribute to conversation, "How do you know Lorelei? How did you know about this bed and breakfast?"

"Ahhahah, well," the sailor responded, "It's a funny story, actually…"

"Yeah, if you consider being a member of Team Rocket _funny_," Lorelei interjected from the kitchen.

"Wait…you were in Team _Rocket_?" May responded in disbelief, "_The_ Team Rocket? Like, with thugs and mobsters and stuff like that?!"

Steven also looked at Archie with minor shock, and only Lorelei's soft giggle was heard from the kitchen. "Hey, your reactions are borderline offensive, got it?" Archie said with a pinch of spite, "Maxie was a member, too. We were kids. Times were tough. We didn't know any better."

"So does that mean you're originally from Kanto or Johto?" May asked.

"Yup, Vermillion raised!" Archie beamed at recalling his hometown, "But we're digressing. Let me tell you about how I met the lovely Lorelei."

Archie went on to depict a story of him being sent on a job to Floe Island, and how he met Lorelei whom, had just recently given up her position with the Elite 4 in order to spend more time on the island protecting it from Team Rocket. He went on to talk about how there was something about her relationship with her Lapras that really moved him, and he got pretty cheesy recollecting that story for awhile. After he quit Team Rocket, and before he moved to Hoenn, he'd still sail to Floe Island of his own accord, just to visit Lorelei.

Lorelei eventually brought dinner out for everyone, and they all sat and talked for the evening. May realized she was opening up more once she finished her first glass of wine, and while she wished she could have been more bold as to converse without the liquid courage, she was at least minimally grateful for her newfound ability to socialize. It wasn't that she didn't normally easily open up to people, especially after her Pokémon journey, but there was something about feeling like the odd one out when they first arrived that had been bothering her, and she was starting to notice that feeling leaving her. Talk of Team Rocket and Team Aqua subsided, and they decided to call it a night, as they still had another long day at sea ahead of them.

* * *

"This is like out of a bad shoujo-manga…" May said upon seeing the inside of the room she was to share with Steven. Clearly designed for honeymooners, the room looked comfortable enough, fully furnished with its own bathroom and a queen size bed.

Steven quirked an eyebrow at the reference, but said in reply, "I'll sleep on the floor."

May had already begun to unpack her things at the foot of the bed when Steven spoke, and she jerked her head to look at him with scrutiny.

"…I insist," Steven said in response to her look, now walking over to join her at the foot of the bed where he placed his own backpack and started going through his own things, "it would be indecent to share the bed, let alone _assume_ that I would be sharing it with you. And I also gather that…you're probably needing to be in the bed more than I am."

May tried to fight her confused blush and asked, "Well…then what was last night?" She looked back down at the pair of pajama bottoms she held in her hands, then asked more sensitively, "Was last night indecent to you?"

Steven let go of a breath that he didn't realize he was holding, and also had to fight off an incoming blush. "Last night was…an analgesic circumstance," he said, worded carefully. May didn't move, and she only stayed standing like she had, staring down at the article of clothing in hand. "I…don't say that to try to undermine last night…"

"It's just embarrassing," May said, cutting him off. She was supposed to be the hero, the beacon of hope. How could she do that when she was being crippled by nightmares? "Yeah, I'm thankful that you were there, don't get me wrong…" she continued, "but I hate that it happened. I hate that you know about this. And now I'm scared I'm going to become…dependent on you."

Steven's brow furrowed. "May, I…" but he faltered for a moment, hesitant of where to go with his words. "I'm not sure what to say. If you ever need me for something, I want to be there for you, and I think that's what I've always tried to do. And when I first lost my memory, I have to admit that I was feeling completely dependent on you, and I still feel indebted, and not entirely free of dependency."

May turned her body to face Steven's, and she meagerly looked up at him, hands now balled in fists atop her chest. Before he could turn his face to completely look at her, May desperately whispered, "Then…please stay with me…in the bed. It's a queen. There's plenty of room for two, and you don't even have to be near me. But you're close enough…just in case."

Steven didn't respond right away – his breath was caught in his chest and he was still processing the request, but May turned her head down and away at the silence and quickly muttered, "No, never mind. I'm sorry for even asking. I'm just being childish and jealous…"

"No-" Steven interjected, "I need to stop over-analyzing. I should be obliging to what's going to be the most comfortable for you." He pulled out his nightshirt and pajama pants from his bag and headed to the bathroom. "I'll just be a minute, okay?"

May quickly slipped into her pajamas while Steven was in the bathroom, and did her best to get comfortable under the covers, lying on her side away from where Steven would be. She promised herself that she wouldn't look up at Steven when he exited the bathroom, although she wasn't quite sure why. Even despite the feeling of the covers shifting behind her, she tried her best to not move. Trying to remain calm was proving to be difficult, despite the fact that _she_ was the one who asked him to stay in the bed with her.

"Are…you sure you're alright with this?" May heard Steven's voice ask from behind her. She innately rolled onto her back to see him this time, and mentally cursed herself halfway at realizing what she had done. Steven hadn't even lied down yet; he was sitting with just his legs under the covers, and May felt her heart melt at the look of concern written all over his face.

"Yeah," she almost whispered, looking up at him, "as long as you're okay with it, too."

Steven swallowed. "I'll keep my distance unless something happens, okay?" he spoke softly, trying to sound as supportive as possible, and let himself get underneath the covers on the other side of the bed, lying on his back. He turned his head toward her for a moment and asked again, "Just like this, okay?"

May nodded again, and Steven reached to turn off the lamp. They both found sleep with a certain amount of ease, perhaps due to the new tiring experience of spending all day on a boat at sea.

But Steven, being the light sleeper he was, tried to open his eyes when he felt the covers shifting. When his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw May shifting in her sleep, but nothing comparable to the night prior. Guessing that she was just changing sides in her sleep, Steven tried closing his eyes again, until he heard May whisper his name.

His eyes flashed back open in response, and now May's body was facing him, but when his vision fixed on her face, her eyes were closed. He fought to stay awake for awhile longer, trying to keep an eye on her just in case, but fell into sleep once more.

But the next time when he was woken, it was at the sound of his name being _screamed_, followed by a _thud_, and less than gentle crying. And when Steven's eyes focused this time, May was out of sight.

"May," Steven voiced in a dazed panic. He tried his best to snap awake, shoving the covers off of his body and throwing himself to the other side of the bed to find May, in a pile on the floor, holding herself tightly, sobbing between heaves of breathing.

May drew in an ugly forced breath as Steven's arms encompassed her body, picking her off of the ground, and she tucked her head into her body, trying to hide her snot-ridden red-stained face. "No – stop – no - I'm supposed to be saving _you_!" she hoarsely gasped between her ragged crying and breathing.

"May, hey, May," Steven tried, failing at his attempts to stay calm. He brought her onto the bed and quickly joined her, making sure to stay in physical contact with her in hopes of bringing her back to perceived consciousness, "May, I'm right here, and you _have_ saved me, okay?" he said in desperation. It was frantic, but it was what spilled from his mouth.

May's head whipped up to look at him, her body still huddled, her arms around her torso wrapped tightly. Her eyes were wide again, this time in lack of comprehension, and her face was beat red. Steven watched with a broken heart as her forehead slowly came to a crease, and she mumbled once more, "…Steven?"

"Yes, May, I'm right here," Steven said, his voice a little calmer this time with the hope that she was coming back. He used a hand to push back some of the hair that had stuck to the side of her face from the sweat and tears, but quickly retrieved it when May's eyes winced at the contact. "Give me just a moment. I'm going to go to the bathroom to get you a wet washcloth, okay?"

May didn't answer him, but she didn't detest, either. Steven went to the bathroom with haste, and quickly returned with the promised washcloth. He sat back down on the bed across from May, and when she didn't make any responding movements, he took the initiative of bringing the washcloth to May's forehead to wipe her face. May closed her eyes and let go of a deep sigh when the cool cloth made contact with her skin. Taking that as the okay, Steven continued to wipe her face, until he felt two small hands at his chest, grabbing his shirt.

"This wasn't a flashback," May whispered, her voice barely audible, "last time wasn't, either."

Steven set the washcloth aside, but stayed silent, waiting for her to finish.

"I keep…" her voice got even quieter, before she spoke again, "I keep seeing you _dying_, _right in front of me_, and I know I'm supposed to _save_ you, but I _can't_."

It was Steven's turn to pause for a breath. That was a cryptic statement to hear, no matter which way you tossed it.

"It's not like I _want_ to have this in my head…" May voiced, louder this time, "the only other details I can remember are these three, huge, golem-like Pokémon. I don't even know why they're there, but they just…_are_. And they're Pokémon I've never seen before, and I don't even know how to begin identifying them. My Pokédex doesn't work in my dreams." A few tears starting to fall once more from her face. Steven intuitively grabbed the washcloth again in response, and just with that, May managed a giggle. "And here you are again, taking care of _me_."

"I feel like trying to cool you down is the least I can do right now," Steven said, his voice coming out flatter than he intended.

May finally released her grip on Steven's shirt, and her hands fell into her lap. Steven also retracted his hand in response, and slightly gasped at the sudden pair of arms tight around his torso, and the head that crash-landed into his chest. At least she was perceivably calmer now.

"Can I make…a sort of weird request?" May asked, her face now tilted to the side so that the side of her head was pressed into Steven's chest.

"Right now, anything," Steven automatically answered.

May pulled herself away from Steven, and failed to keep eye contact with her request, "I want to make sure that you're going to be okay, and that you're going to stay, so…" her hands came together in her lap again, "can I hold _you_ in _my_ arms while we sleep?"

Steven's chest filled with warmth. There was nothing more that he wanted in that moment than to wrap his arms around her once again and keep her safe there, but he wasn't against her seemingly innocent desire, either. Steven answered by crawling back under the covers, his back towards May, and she quickly followed suit, pulling her body up against his and snaking one arm under the pillow and the other over his torso. Steven automatically gripped the hand of her overlaying arm in his. Even despite everything that had gone on in that night, Steven still had to kick himself mentally to remain as gentlemanly as possible in this compromising position, with May's body up against his. Luckily, he was still tired enough to fall asleep to the soft and finally calmed breathing of May against his shoulder.

* * *

In the morning, they said their goodbyes, and Lorelei wished them safe travels on the second half of their journey. This time, May and Steven stayed on deck with Archie, keeping him company as they sailed toward the Sinnoh region. Except, after about 30 minutes at sea, that something along the horizon didn't quite fit the bill for where they thought they were.

"Archie…what is that straight ahead?" May asked the sailor.

"Aye, Scamp, I was just trying to figure that out myself," Archie responded, "I have an inkling that something isn't right here."

Steven joined them at the front edge of the boat to squint into the distance, then under his breath, gasped, "That's Pacifidlog…and the Sky Tower…"

"Crimeny," Archie muttered, then exclaimed bitterly, "We're back in Hoenn! Floe Island must've been transported overnight!"

May's eyes widened in shock, and she ran to the back of the boat with realization. "Floe Island is still in the distance!" She yelled back at the two men. "Should we head back and warn them?"

Before either Archie or Steven could respond back to her or even acknowledge what she said, in an instant, the now distant island was surrounded by a golden circle, and with a flash of purple, disappeared. The island was nowhere in sight, with no trace that it had even been there. May stood in disbelief. "It was…right there," she muttered to herself, "We were just there, on that island, and now it's gone."

May made her way back to the front of the ship, feeling defeated, and when she looked back at Archie and Steven, they looked defeated, too. "How…do we even proceed from here?" May asked, completely unsure of what else to say.

"We come up with a different plan, that's all!" Archie roared. When May and Steven looked at him in speculation at his sudden burst of positivity, he replied, "What? Don't tell me that Hoenn's famous adventurers are going to give up that easily?!"

"He's not wrong," Steven mumbled, "But what would you suggest we do now?"

"Easy!" Archie continued, "We start island hopping. If islands are appearing to get transported to who knows where, then one's bound to get thrown to Sinnoh, and hopefully take us with it."

"How injudicious," Steven said under his breath, but then countered that with, "but…that might be a possible option, that is, assuming it would be out of the question for us to continue to try to sail to Sinnoh?"

"I'm gonna give you my honest, seafaring opinion, _Stone_," Archie said, his tone becoming much more serious, turning to leave the wheel and face Steven, putting a shock in Steven's spine at the sudden change of tone. "I gotta feelin' that there's more to this _transport_ we underwent than what meets the eye." Steven motioned to May to make sure she was included in his explanation, "I been out at these seas for awhile now, during all of this island nonsense. Til now, I didn't know if there had been any rhyme or reason to them disappearin' and reappearin', that is, til now. Us tryin' to leave Hoenn and head to Sinnoh for _answers_, but getting sent back to where we came from? That leaves a salty taste in my mouth, mate."

"So you think that something is trying to stop us from leaving Hoenn?" May asked, trying to hide her excitement. This seemed like it could be horrendously serious, but it was still adventure, and despite everything she was going through, prospects of adventure still thrilled her.

"That, or stopping us from getting to Sinnoh," Steven speculated, his gaze now at the sea and his hand at his chin in thought. "If we did decide to go island-hopping in hopes of catching an island before it gets transported, it could be like when we were on Mossdeep and it was sent to Kanto. Additionally, if we found an island like the one where we met Uxie…" Steven said, continuing his theory, "we could ultimately get sent back to Sinnoh, to where that island is supposed to be."

"So, do we have a plan then, scallywags?" Archie boomed, followed by a hearty laugh. May was up for adventure, but she was starting to think Archie's thirst for it was a bit on the scary side. "All right kiddos, next stop: the first island we see!"

Which didn't take them too long. They sailed back toward the mainland of Hoenn for maybe ten minutes, before an island visualized before them, just hundred of yards off from their current route. May felt a pit form in her stomach in anticipation. She tried looking up at Steven for assurance, who looked back at her with an involuntary smile, possibly an attempt at cheering her up at face value.

"Steven," May said softly, only loud enough so that Steven could hear her, "when do we know when we're in too deep?"

"I don't know that there is such a thing," Steven replied, grabbing her hand out of reflex to his feelings, "as long as we're in this together, right?" Steven squeezed her hand quickly before letting go, but that was enough for May to flash a genuine smile back at her silver-haired traveling companion.

The newly found island was on the smaller side, similar to the other random islands that had been popping up on these routes previously. The island was rocky and somewhat mountainous, but there was a clearly defined path to a more forested area. Steven and May went ahead to explore for any potential clues for as to where the island was from, and Archie stayed by the boat to watch in case the island was taken while they were on it.

When May and Steven entered the forested area, there was a clearing with a small pond in the center, but the water was much darker than the seawater surrounding the island.

"I haven't seen or noticed any signs of Pokémon, have you?" May asked, and Steven only shook his head in response. May reached for a Pokéball on her belt and said, "Alright, the water looks deep. I'm going to dive with Swampert to see if we can find any other clues."

As soon as May leapt on Swampert's back on the water, a rush of cold air blew against her back, and she had to put effort into staying seated upright. The wind stopped, and when May instinctively looked back up, she felt the blood drain from her face, completely paling as she stared face to face with a singular bright blue eye, shrouded in a dark body. A white fog-like ghostly plume billowed in a menacing fashion. Black tatters reached toward her body, and the last thing May heard was Steven screaming her name.


	7. Psycho Shift

AN - I'm so incredibly sorry for the wait again. I promised myself and to many that this wouldn't happen, but life unfortunately bested me once again. I also somehow always end up writing about alcohol! I enjoy imagining what cocktails would be like in their universe though using the berries. We also have cover art now! Thanks to tumblr user pokemonsavvy, who's also a good deal of the inspiration for this story. Thanks to everyone who's followed, faved, and reviewed! This story has officially become my most viewed, and I have no doubt it will soon pass my most reviewed story. We've also hit 100+ follows, which I am completely floored by. It seriously means so much.

* * *

_Of Hoops and Holists – Chapter 7_

_Steven had left more than just a Pokéball and a letter._

* * *

Swampert knew something was wrong. It swiftly swam back to shore, but still taking care to not lose the thrashing and crying body of its trainer on its back. Allowing her body to fall into Steven's frantic but ready arms, the full-grown mudpuppy Pokémon treaded around in distress, pressing its face into the side of May's body every so often in an attempt at calming her or waking her. Not once did her body stop or slow, all the while Steven struggling to hold her down and not get hurt at the same time, although despite how violent her body was becoming, at this point, he didn't care if he got hurt while trying to hold her.

"SCAMP?!" Archie's voice cried out, his thunderous footsteps quickly approaching. He hesitated for a moment at the sight, then his captain's voice kicked in. "Give me May. You get Swampert in its Pokéball. She needs to get strapped down."

Archie's last statement stole Steven's attention for a split second, "Do you know what's-" he tried to ask, but was suddenly interrupted with an elbow to the jaw, and Swampert only continued to act up at seeing its trainer's thrashing.

"Exactly," Archie mumbled, sweeping in to pull May into his arms, and Steven held a hand to his jaw in shock as he saw Archie restrain May where he couldn't. "I've had enough shipmates at sea develop violent night terrors to know what to do. May's safety needs to be number one right now, and you need to listen to what I say for the time being."

Steven scrambled to his feet as he watched Archie turn to head back to the ship with May. He grabbed the abandoned Pokéball from the ground, and used it to recall the distressed Pokémon. He tried to catch up with Archie as he left the forested area and brought May back on to the ship, and followed closely into the newfound dusk of the day toward the cabin.

"Under the bed is a white box," Archie began to describe, and Steven crouched to grab it before the directions were finished, "inside you'll find the restraints. There should be two sets, and they have hooks on the ends. Each one needs to be hooked to the frame of the bed, one for her arms and torso, the other for her legs. I need you to move quickly once I set her on the bed. Do you understand?"

Steven opened the box, and inside were the restraints, made of a seatbelt-like material. Steven nodded and climbed onto the bed to fasten the restraints on the wall side, latching them onto the bedframe, then crawled off, holding the restraints up and looking at Archie for confirmation that he was ready for May to be put in the bed. With both care and haste, Archie placed May's struggling body on the bed and Steven came down with the restraints to fasten them to the frame, followed by Archie grabbing the excess tails to quickly tighten the restraints so May couldn't move from the bed. This was at least able to stop her thrashing, but her body was covered in sweat and she continued to cry and utter inaudible sounds.

"Okay, _Stone_, what would have caused this?" Archie asked, his voice low.

Steven eyed the sailor cautiously before answering, "There were no signs of which from where the island came, and only the darkened pond was in the clearing, so May decided to try diving for answers, and-"

"-And?" the ex-eco-terrorist urgently interrupted, his voice even lower than before.

"…And a Pokémon appeared, that I've never seen before. It…" Steven tried to process the incident, and process Archie interrupting him, "It covered her with part of its body, like strips of darkness, and then when it disappeared, her body fell into these…_fits_."

"_Shit_…" Archie muttered, slamming his fist down on the nightstand, "It's exactly what I thought. This isn't my first rodeo with Darkrai."

"Darkrai?" Steven repeated, but a spring of hope in his voice, "So, you've been through this before? You know how to help May?"

"I need you to take that eagerness down a few notches," Archie growled, "because this isn't that easy. Yeah, I've been through this before. Yeah, I know how to help the Scamp. But there's literally only one fix for this, and where things stand as of now, I don't know where to start to get what we need."

"But _that's_ a start," Steven urged. He managed to be a gentleman most of the time, but somehow that was at a loss when interacting with Archie, especially now that May's wellbeing was on the line. "It's better than nothing, right?"

Archie rubbed his face in his hand up and down, and heaved a huge sigh. "We need to get our hands on a Lunar Wing," he explained, now with one hand on a hip and the other holding the side of his head, "and the Lunar Wing can only be obtained through the Pokémon Cresselia. Cresselia usually inhabits an island in Sinnoh, but there've been rumors of spottings in other regions. But Cresselia is a mythical Pokémon. Finding it is a crapshoot."

"So these Pokémon, Darkrai and Cresselia, they're counterparts or something of the like?" Steven asked, seeming to understand the equation.

"Aye," Archie answered, his voice still solemn, "and they're both from Sinnoh, which seems to be where a good deal of our problems are coming from. Not to mention, if my theory of earlier is true, about something not wanting us to leave Hoenn, then…" Archie made a hard grimace before continuing, "we're fresh out of luck and I'm fresh out of ideas, besides island hopping."

Steven hesitated. "I'm quite unsure about continuing to island hop, considering that's what put us in this predicament, but…" Steven said, taking a moment to glance at May. All the while they were conversing, her body continued to heave under the restraints, her face contorted into what could only be described as complete pain. "It still appears to be the only viable option at this point. We originally intended to find an island that would take us to Sinnoh so that we could hopefully do some research there, and now we need to get to Sinnoh for the cure to May's nightmares."

"We need to find another island," Archie quickly said, "or at least for the time being, we need to get off of this one. Darkrai only behaves this way when it feels threatened. We're still in its territory by staying on this island, and through that, putting ourselves at risk to a fate similar to May's."

"_Fate_…has some implications, doesn't it now?" Steven asked warily, though Archie had already begun to leave the cabin to head back to the deck.

Archie paused, a hand on the frame of the now open doorway leading to the deck of the ship. He turned his head to Steven before exiting. "Stone…do you pray?" the sailor asked, unreeling his eye-contact with the Devon heir.

Steven blinked curiously at the unexpected question, and couldn't help but dart his eyes toward May's body, which Archie picked up on. "I know you don't need a sea dog like me lecturing you in this area, but I've been desperate a time or two before," Archie revealed, assuming the answer to his question, and continued, "and I know that I've had my rear saved by forces other than chance on several occasions." Archie turned his head and began to exit the cabin once more, this time saying, "Until you get another plan, I'm finding another island. I can't stand to look at her like this any longer."

Archie left, leaving Steven alone with May and his thoughts. It was hard to look at her the way she was now, but at the same time hard to look away without feeling some sort of guilt. Her body hadn't given up trying to fight the restraints for a single moment, and her face never stopped looking completely miserable while crying. The feeling of knowing he should do _something_, but knowing there was practically nothing he could do for her at that moment, was crippling.

Steven had never been particularly religious. In fact, no one in Hoenn really was, especially compared to the holists he had encountered while traveling in Sinnoh. There used to be religious groups in Hoenn, but most of them faded out. It wasn't that he didn't believe in any of the mythical or legendary Pokémon, he had just never felt strongly enough about those beliefs to put them into practice. Spiritual? Absolutely. He had befriended Latios after all, but somehow, that always seemed different.

How did he even go about this? The only deity he vaguely grew up with was the prophecy surrounding Helix, but he was pretty sure that had more to do with his father's aesthetic with fossils. Archie had repeatedly mentioned a feeling about some_thing_ not wanting them to leave Hoenn, or go to Sinnoh, one of the two. Were those the Pokémon he needed to be considering? Or were there Pokémon he should be seeking out specifically to the cause, like patrons? Were you supposed to pray to the legendary Pokémon or mythical Pokémon? "I don't think I even know the difference," Steven mumbled.

"Do I just…shoot for Cresselia?" Steven speculated, a hard look pressed on May. He walked over to her and grabbed a hand, despite her jerking. He needed to hold her hand, even if it was physically going to be hard to do so. "Cresselia? If you can even hear this…" he mumbled, trying to push himself, regardless of how silly he felt, "In my years of traveling, no one I've met has compared to May. Hell, I don't even think I remember her completely yet, and still, I am able to comprehend the impact that she's had on Hoenn, and on me." He paused, mostly because of the nails now driving into his hand, but he kept holding, and kept speaking. "May is suffering right now, and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. If what I have been told is true, we need your Lunar Wing to help her. I don't know how I am to repay for your potential grace of my request, but…please, at least, hear me…"

The boat came to an abrupt stop, and Steven had to try to stabilize himself so as to not fall on top of May from the suddenness of it.

No, it was far too much of a coincidence.

"STONE!" he heard Archie command from outside the cabin. Letting go of May's hand, only to watch it start to claw into her own side, and he bolted to the hull of the boat, swearing under his breath that this had better be important.

If only he knew _how_ important.

Because when Steven got to the deck, he didn't get the chance to ask Archie what was so important, because that important thing caught his attention right away. On the deck of the boat before them was a floating golden hoop, about seven feet in circumference, and within it, a dark, purple abyss.

"I'm gonna grab May, and you're going to take her through that hoop with you," Archie directed.

This grabbed Steven's attention, but only his ears. He couldn't take his eyes away from the hoop. "And how are you so trusting of this _hoop_? How can I trust _you_?"

Archie stepped in front of Steven, forcing him to look at him instead of the hoop for a moment, and said, "Because, _Stone_, in your heart of hearts, you know I want to save May just as much as you do. You _have_ to trust me. And it's time to take a leap of faith. For _May's_ sake."

Steven didn't have a response for this, but Archie disappeared below into the cabin, leaving Steven staring at the hoop once more. It looked just like the hoop that took Floe Island, but smaller. The fact that this smaller hoop appeared on the deck of Archie's boat had to have meant something, right? It seemed too personal.

Archie returned with May in his arms. She was still struggling, and although Archie had no problem holding her, Steven worried he wouldn't have the same luck.

"On the count of three, I'm going to put her in your arms, and you're going to run and jump through," Archie commanded.

Steven looked at Archie with a flash of disbelief, but at this point, he figured there wasn't much he shouldn't believe in anymore. Nodding, he replied, "I suppose this is goodbye."

"Oh, don't get all sappy on me, _Stone_," Archie immediately quipped, "It's not goodbye, it's until we meet again. The Scamp is definitely still in my future, and I'm assuming that at this point, that means that you'll be, too. Now one, two-"

Steven barely had time to think or prepare before May was secured in his arms, and despite her surprising strength of her flailing and clawing, he ran toward the hoop with all his might, and literally took a leap of faith.

After the completely purple abyss no longer consumed them, and Steven landed in a crouch with a thud, all the current possibilities stopped whizzing through his brain. He was too intensely occupied with clutching May in his arms, doing his best to make sure her limbs were contained and she wouldn't bring harm to herself. All his energy was going toward this cause, so much that it took him awhile to see the light suddenly surrounding them on the small island they landed on. Steven picked his head up in an instant to see that he was face-to-face with the pink, blue, and yellow crescent shaped legend of dreams, so close that he could see the individual feathers on her body.

His hand reaching out voluntarily, Steven touched the side of Cresselia's body, and she didn't move when the contact was made. He felt to take a feather, and even then, Cresselia didn't move. The Lunar Wing gave off a soft glow that could only be described as like moonlight, and before Steven could comprehend it, Cresselia flew up and disappeared into the night sky.

The Lunar Wing in Steven's hand only needed a moment to act on its own and encompass May in a bright, white light, her body being taken out of the violent thrashing it was just engaged in. Steven's hold of her body subconsciously tightened around her as he anticipated her awakening. Eyelids fluttered open to reveal innocent and large brown eyes, and when these eyes met Steven's, he could only manage to stare back.

"May…" he barely whispered, his voice seeming foreign to him, "are you…alright?"

Taking a moment to look down at herself, and then at her surroundings, May was definitely awake, but seemed bewildered. "I'm okay, I think," she replied slowly, "This…is real? I'm not dreaming anymore?"

This time, Steven couldn't vocally find a response, and could only fight tears back with a smile. He didn't know when he got so caught up in the moment, or even when he let his emotions get the best of him, but they were. He loosened an arm to set down her lower half, and gave a hand so they could both stand. With a swift motion, he pulled May's torso up into his in a tight embrace, his face quickly tucking into her shoulder.

"I was…so worried…" he mumbled into her neck, still trying not to cry. "I was supposed to protect you, and I failed, and for that, I'm incred-"

"Steven," May interrupted, and she returned the embrace, her arms fully around his torso. She could feel him gulp. "I was in so much pain, and you saved me," she said with the utmost sincerity, then repeated for good measure, "You _saved_ me."

"No, Cresselia saved you," Steven corrected, "and Archie deserves thanks as well. All I did was bring you here-"

"And stayed by my side. And took care of me," May cut him off again, holding him even tighter had that been possible.

"But, we can celebrate later. Right now I think I have some messages that I need to replay to you," May said, already taking on a surprisingly serious tone after her intense moment of weakness. She pulled away from Steven and her face flashed with seriousness.

"We need to collect all seventeen plates."

"I'm not sure I follo-"

"I don't get it completely, either," May quipped, "but at this point I know, that it's to ensure Hoenn's safety." May withdrew her hands to her chest and looked down, still trying to collect herself. "There have been too many coincidences, Steven. If Darkrai used me as a vessel of some sort, I don't know, to get this information to me and make sure I understand it, then so be it. We have to collect the 16 plates. We already have the Iron Plate."

"Okay, well…" Steven spoke, but he wasn't sure he had anything worthwhile of contribution to speak. He just got May back, but he realized there was still much work to do, and it looked like these terrors with Darkrai only further complicated things. "I found the Iron Plate through unintentional means, so where do we even begin to find the rest?" Steven asked.

May bit her lip before speaking. "I was hoping…that that was something that Cynthia could help us figure out. So much of this seems tied to Sinnoh. Legends from Sinnoh keep getting tossed into Hoenn, and I don't think I'm wrong in guessing that hardly anyone in Hoenn quite understands legends and myths from Sinnoh."

"You'd be right in your guess," Steven told her, "and seeking her help right now is probably our best bet for the time being."

Removing a Pokéball from her belt, May tossed it into the air, her usual quirky smirk starting to come back as her Swampert appeared. "Well, nothing left to do but keep moving forward!" she exclaimed, and raising her left arm into the air, activating her bracelet with her right hand, began the process of her Swampert's mega-evolution. After her Pokémon's magnificent form finished completion, May threw a point hand out in the direction of the sea and said, "Time to head toward the mainland!" and motioned for Steven to join her in getting on her Swampert's back.

"It's highly probable that we're already in Sinnoh, too," Steven said, following May onto the back of the mud fish Pokémon's back, "We were brought to this island that appears to be native for Cresselia, who is of Sinnoh origin."

But before they could even get off the island, just as Swampert started to make toward the water, they were surrounded by the all too familiar purple eeriness once again. May could feel the color drain from her face and her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach. Once they were no longer surrounded by purple nothingness, they could see the crater that was Sootopolis in the distance, straight ahead.

"Is this…a joke?" May muttered.

Steven slid off of Swampert's back, and already pulled his Eon Flute out of his jacket. "May, it's getting dark. Recall Swampert and let's go see what Wallace is up to."

May didn't budge. Her hands were in fists as she sat motionless, her Swampert reverting back to its original form so it could turn its neck back to look at her. "Was Archie right? Is something keeping us from Sinnoh?" she muttered some more.

Latios arrived, and Steven looked at May with worry. "There's no way of knowing just yet," he said, "but Sootopolis is right there, and it's getting late. We should touch base with Wallace, and get somewhere for the night."

May still didn't move from her spot, but she did begin to stroke her Swampert in an attempt to assure it that she was okay. Steven approached her, and held a hand out to her so she would come with him. She barely glanced toward his hand when she whispered, "Steven, what are we doing?"

Steven felt a ping through his heart, before he instantaneously said, "What we always do, May. Figuring things out, together."

She bit her lip again, and shut her eyes tight, but grabbed his hand in hers, and let him lead her down. "Sorry," she said softly, and recalled her Swampert back into its Pokéball, "but I think everything is getting to me a little bit. Darkrai just happened to push me a little further toward the edge." She opened her eyes to look a Steven, and was met with a stare that made her stutter, "I-I…shouldn't be like this. I need to be strong."

His stare was faltered by these words, and Steven replied with a mild chuckle. "May, you _are_ strong," he said, squeezing her hand still in his. "You've just woken up from torrential night terrors and your first concern was still related to understanding how to solve the _world's_ problems. I think you get a moment to question the universe now and again."

Still holding her hand, Steven led May over to Latios, and they both mounted the male Eon Pokémon, and took off for Sootopolis. When they arrived in the crater city, Steven began to walk in the opposite direction from Wallace's house and said, "You go on ahead. I'm going to try calling Cynthia."

Although she wanted to, May didn't question him, and carried on alone toward Wallace's house. As much as she wanted to find out potential information from Cynthia, she still somehow felt uncomfortable talking to her, similarly to how she felt at Lorelei's house. Without thinking about it too much, she chalked it up to her lack of networking experience, even though it wasn't like her to feel shy and bothered this way. Just as she was about to knock on Wallace's door, her Pokénav began to unexpectedly ring, and when she saw who it was, she had to take a pause before answering.

"Hi Dad!" she answered as cheerfully as possible, "isn't it a little late for you?"

"Haha, I'm not _that_ old," Norman replied in a familiar voice. May recognized that tone. "Is it really ever too late for me to want to check in on my only daughter? I just wanted to see where you are. You've been in Buzznav lately…"

"Oh, is that so?" May cheekily replied, but she knew exactly where this is going.

"May…" yup, it was that tone of voice coming from her father, "just _where_ is the young _Mr. Stone_ taking you?"

"Okay, Dad, he's not _taking_ me anywhere, we've been traveling _together_, and-"

"I know you're traveling _together,_ May, and that's exactly what I'm talking about and-"

"Dad, I need to ask you about something really important while I'm on the phone with you-"

"Is it about those islands? Because the more I hear about them, the more I don't like knowing that you're getting involved with them and-"

"Wait, the more you hear? What have you heard about them?"

The father-daughter banter and interruptions halted for a moment with that question, and May knew he was debating on how to say something to her.

"If you can't tell me right now, then I have something else I'd like to ask-"

"No, no, it's nothing like that. I don't mean to keep anything from you. I'm just being your father, you know that. I'm worried that one day you're going to get taken away on one of these islands to somewhere where you can't come back, but that hasn't been the case so far, has it?"

"Dad…"

"I know, I know. What else is it that you're wanting to ask me?"

May paused again, debating on opening the conversation with her father, but she'd never know until she asked. "If I asked you about seventeen plates, would you know what I'm talking about?"

Another pause. So that wasn't a _no_, but May knew that if her father knew anything, the reason he stalled in telling her was the worry that she was going to act out on any new information, which in reality, showed that he knew his daughter very well.

"I've heard of them. But I don't know much beyond that. I know there's a plate for every type, with the exception of normal, so maybe that'll help you understand why I don't know much."

May tried to giggle a little bit, but she was interrupted by her father once more, "You know you'll always be my baby girl, right? I just want you happy and safe, May."

"I _know_, but…" May responded, still not satisfied with the information, "you had to have heard that somewhere, Dad. Where did you hear about the plates?"

"May…"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop asking, I'm sorry," May said. Maybe her father knew more, and maybe he didn't. Either way, she was getting the feeling that if she kept prying, it was going to go no where. "I promise I won't do anything _too_ reckless," she said, and in her mind, was only a _little_ bit of a lie, "Honestly, checking out these islands is starting to get tiring. I think I'm just going to do some research for awhile."

"Don't get me wrong, May, I don't want you to miss out on any adventures," Norman said, his very dad-like tone back again, "but you need to understand that while you're Hoenn's sweetheart, you're also my world."

Even though she'd heard it a million times before, May couldn't help but smile to herself at his words, "Yeah, Dad, I know. I guess I'll give you deets. I'm in Sootopolis right now, actually standing in front of Leader Wallace's house right now. I was about to visit him to see if he knows anything."

"Okay, well, just, be careful. You sure do hang out with a lot of older males, May…"

"Dad…"

"Okay, okay, I'll let you go. Call you mother tomorrow. She thinks she's bothering you when she calls so you need to reach out to her more."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, just call her. Okay, I love you."

"I love you too, Dad, goodnight."

_Call Mom, huh?_ May supposed she had plenty to talk about, but what she _should_ talk about with her mom differed quite a bit. She naturally could talk about her 'developments' with Steven.

'_Developments,' huh?_

May shook her head, trying to convince herself that she didn't have time to think about where things with Steven were headed right then. Yeah, her feelings were natural, but getting caught up in them would only further complicate things, right?

She tried to shake off impending thoughts of hormones and romance, and knocked on Wallace's door. She faintly heard a "What the?" and when Wallace answered the door, he appeared in a more modest than his gym attire but none the less flattering outfit of, of course, designer jeans and satin button-up.

"May…" he said in recognition, "Sorry, I'm not disappointed, just a little confused." He opened the door up. "Please, come in. I thought you would be in Sinnoh by now. Where's Steven?"

"He went to the Pokémon Center to call Cynthia," May told him, and allowed herself into his home and sat at his dining room. Wallace was at his kitchenette, already pouring drinks for them. May picked up right away though, that he also had bottles of things on the counter that were items other than alcohol. He was actually taking the time to mix drinks, versus how Steven had poured whiskey on the rocks (both in description of the drink and literally).

"Oh, Wallace, I don't mean to be any trouble," May quickly said, realizing he was going out of his way to make her a drink, but it was already at the table in front of her.

"Nonsense!" Wallace cried, dramatically tossing a kitchen towel over his shoulder. "Surprisingly enough, I don't have company that often, so I don't get enough use out of my shaker set. Let me play bartender. I make you drinks, and you tell me everything that's going on. You like Pecha berries, right?"

May took a small sip of the orange cocktail, and actually had a hard time not "mm"ing after. It was fruity and sweet, and she couldn't taste any alcohol. "What is this?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Pecha schnapps, vodka, Pinap juice, and Haban juice."

May took another sip of the cocktail, and this one let her know to take her time with it. She couldn't taste the alcohol, but after that sip, she could feel it. "Archie thinks something is either stopping us from going to Sinnoh, or keeping us from leaving Hoenn," she stated matter-of-factly, not realizing until after what she said that without context, that statement meant almost nothing. She took another sip.

"That sounds plausible, but I think I'm going to need a little more information than that to have an opinion of my own," Wallace said with a chuckle at the female champion's bluntness.

She told him everything, about staying over in Floe Island, and having night terrors, and Steven helping her through them, and Floe Island getting sent back to Hoenn's waters overnight, about Darkrai and Cresselia. And Wallace stayed attentive the entire time, and not once looked overwhelmed by her depictions.

"I'm almost jealous," he said after she was finished, "all this adventure you've been on, and here I've been, waiting for you to get back, watching over the gym. You know, I haven't had a decent challenger since you, you know."

May gave him an exasperated look, and took another sip. "All that, and _that's_ what you have to say? That you're _jealous_?" she asked. She went to take another sip of her drink, but at this point it was empty, which Wallace took notice of right away, and topped her off.

"You should hear the way Steven talks about you, dear," Wallace said, getting up from his chair and heading back to his kitchenette to mix more of something, "Adventure seems to follow you wherever you go."

May was definitely downing her second drink much faster than her first, and she didn't know if the heat in her cheeks was from the alcohol or at the mention of Steven talking about her. "He talks about me?!" She squeeked in reply.

Wallace chuckled, but his laugh was a cross from her surprise in Steven talking about her, and how quickly she was putting away her second drink. "You really can't be that surprised," he said over the blender.

Before May could question any more, the front door opened, revealing a disheveled Steven Stone. "We've got a lot to unpack," he groaned, allowing himself a chair at the table across from May. Wallace didn't hesitate to bring him a drink, and after Steven took a sip of it, guessed, "sex on the beach?"

May just about choked when Wallace beamed and said, "You're getting better at this game!"

"Usually your drinks are too fruity for my liking, but I can always make an exception for this one," Steven said. Oh, it was just the name of the drink. "Anyway, I just got off the phone with Cynthia, and-"

"-and I think it can wait until morning," Wallace said, cutting him off, much to Steven's chagrin, but Wallace continued, "I can tell you two have been through a lot in the past couple of days. You deserve a night off. Hoenn will survive another day, and so will you."

Steven only stared at Wallace for a moment, but May was the one to speak up first. "He's right," she said, staring at her glass in her hand, albeit still resting on the table, "we do so much. We do so much all the time. Let's…-_hic_\- relax!"

Now Steven stared at May after her sentence. It wasn't so much what she said as it was how she said it, and while she wasn't horribly sloshed by any means, she was definitely a solid level of tipsy. He shot a dirty look at Wallace to which he only shrugged and said, "Hey, she's only two in, and it's not my fault I'm a better bartender than you are!"

May giggled a little to herself and said, "Hey, it's not that scotch on the rocks is _bad_, but-"

"Sex on the beach is better," Wallace finished for her.

"I'm not going to argue preferences," Steven stated, "I suppose it wouldn't kill me to learn a few new recipes for guests, anyway."

"Yeah, Steven, learn to be a better host," May chimed, followed by her sticking out her tongue at him. Steven only blinked in response, followed by looking at his glass and saying, "I'll try to catch up."

"You do that, and," Wallace said, getting up for the kitchenette again, "May's next drink is a nice tall glass of water."

"Oh, boo."

"As much as I'm dying to hear all of your best kept secrets and hear you go on about how much you love your Altaria, I think where you're sitting right now is a pretty good place to be," Wallace remarked, bringing her a glass of water.

The banter continued on for about an hour or so, until the three grew tired from the buzz and company. Wallace directed them to their respected guest rooms as he did earlier that week, and of course couldn't do so without picking on Steven.

"Think you'll be able to stay in your room tonight?" Wallace teased at Steven, but Steven only glared in response, and his spine locked when he noticed that May had heard Wallace's comment, too.

"Actually, I think I should be okay tonight," she answered, taking Wallace's comment seriously, as if it was more in response to the past few nights rather than the last time they stayed at Wallace's house, "And if anything happens, I still have my Pokémon with me." She turned the doorknob to the guest room, and said her goodnights to the men before closing in for the night.

Steven hesitated for a moment after May disappeared, his hand suspended above the doorknob like he didn't know what would happen if he touched it. Suddenly, Wallace appeared before his vision, him obviously leaning forward and in to get in his line of sight, and after getting his attention, standing up straight again, giving him a knowing look.

"Yeah, this is good…I'm glad she's feeling better," Steven mumbled.

Wallace whacked a hand onto Steven's shoulder and whispered with a chuckle, "Don't need any champion babies getting conceived in MY house!"

Although of course, May sat wondering in her bed if she _could_ actually get through the night alone.


	8. Covet

I think I've finally accepted that updates are essentially once a month. I guess that's the trade-off when the chapters are longer. I'm making the drive back to Oklahoma tomorrow for school and work again, and I'm determined to constantly be writing during all the long boring sessions of training that I've already sat through in the past :p Anyway, thanks again to everyone who's been keeping up with this story and keeping in touch with me, it really truly means a lot, and hardcore shoutout to tumblr user pokemonsavvy for making comic-styled pages of everyone's favorite scene in Chapter 6. If you're a fan of this story, then I heavily encourage you to check out her work. I hope you all enjoy this latest installment and don't forget to let me know what you think!

* * *

_Of Hoops and Holists – Chapter Eight._

_Steven had left more than just a Pokéball and a letter._

* * *

The next morning, May woke up to the smell of…pecans? It was _something_ nutty. She began to shift to get out of bed, and her Delcatty mewled next to her as May's movement woke up the cat-like Pokémon, to which May had a moment of confusion.

"Oh hey, Mina…" May said in her still-low morning voice, "I don't think I remember letting you out last night…"

Oh no, that was right. She stayed at Wallace's again. This was Lisia's room. She was drinking last night. And Steven…_'slept in his respective room last night,_' May reminded herself. Which was good. She got through a night by herself, and must have let her Delcatty out just in case, and she at least didn't remember any nightmares or having any issues getting through the night. May tried to smirk to herself as she pushed a hand onto Mina's head and rubbed behind an ear, which resulted in contented purring filling the previously silent room.

May didn't bother to recall Mina, either, but instead, nudged the Pokémon to follow her out of the room as she made her way to the kitchen to whatever smell was wafting through the house.

"Oh, did your Delcatty want some pancakes, too?" Wallace cooed as May sat at the table and her Delcatty lied down at her feet. "I'm actually in shock that you're awake before Steven," Wallace said, serving up an abnormally tall plate of pancakes filled with pink fruit pieces and setting down a syrup bottle. "I hope that's going to be enough for you, Miss Champion, and let me know what you think. I'm trying out some new recipes. Pecha berries in the pancakes and a pecan Razz syrup."

May cocked an eyebrow at Wallace, but that didn't last long when her nose caught her pancakes. "Hey now, I'm not a Snorlax, you know," she said, simultaneously shoveling a huge bite from the huge stack laid out before her.

"Forgive me, at least you _taste_ your food," Wallace mocked, watching May devour her huge bite with no remorse or restraint, and brought a small plate of pancakes down for her Delcatty. May paid him no mind though, especially after she saw that he brought another plate out for Mina. What did get her attention though, was when Mina stopped eating and trailed down the hallway, before she stopped and began mewling and pawing at a door.

"Sounds like someone wants Steven to get up for the day," Wallace noted, this time bringing two plates of pancakes to the table before he sat down, so one must have been for Steven.

"What you mean to say, is that it's neither of _us_," May joked back, laughing at her Delcatty. The Pokémon must have heard him getting up and that's why she ran to the door. What was interesting to May though was that she wasn't sure if her Delcatty had ever met Steven outside of battle, to have such a reaction to him getting up. May bit her lip for a moment, realizing that this quite possibly was one of those _'I need to be more in tune and listen to my Pokémon' _moments that Drake was talking about.

A '_click'_ was heard, followed by several sets of footsteps, and continuous energetic meowing. A drowsy Steven appeared, and excitedly circling him as he came to the kitchen table was May's Delcatty.

"I probably could have slept forever, but between the smells of breakfast and Delcatty at the door, I didn't want to miss out," Steven drawled, but at the same time ruffled a hand on the cat Pokémon's head, despite his words revealing aggravation. As soon as Steven sat at the table, Mina seemed satisfied and trotted back to her own plate of pancakes.

After petting the Delcatty some more, Steven spoke again. "Cynthia doesn't think it's worth it for us to try to get to Sinnoh again, at this point," he informed them.

May and Wallace didn't look shocked, but instead showed mild concern. "That makes sense right now…" May replied, "Especially since she's the expert on legends and mythological Pokémon in Sinnoh, right?"

"That's what they say…" Wallace clucked, giving a knowing glance to Steven, "So if that's her advice, then it's probably best to listen."

"So for now, we need to collect the seventeen plates…" Steven said, reiterating for Wallace what May had said the night before.

"What on earth for?!" Wallace cried, "I mean, don't get me wrong, that completely sounds like a recipe for some _big_ and _ultimate_ thing, but big and ultimate things usually need a _why_."

Steven gave May a guarded look, waiting for her to explain. It was true, May had breathily declared last night that they needed to find the seventeen plates, but she never said why, or even how. May's face took a look of caution before she carefully spoke about all of it further. "In my dream…" she said, taking her time, "the seventeen plates were brought together, and managed to save us. I don't quite get it but…" she trailed off, but looked toward Steven, intending to speak directly to him, "remember when we were on Southern Island, and we could tell Latios was sending us messages? How one message seemed to be for you?"

"Those whose memories fade, seek to carve them in their hearts," Steven recited, "Yes, I haven't forgotten. There was another message, too, correct?"

"Right," May affirmed, "All dreams are but another reality. Never forget…"

"You think all of this was a set up?" Wallace asked, less critically this time, "That the duo of Eon Pokémon had a sense for what was in your futures, and tried to give you your best chance possible of dealing with the outcomes…and how to move forward…"

May nodded with determination, her spirit returning now that Steven and Wallace were then seeming to understand where she was going with her interpretations. "Does collecting the plates make a little more sense now?" she asked them.

"It's in the ever slightest, but yes," Wallace answered. "This is truly beginning to sound like an omen, though, and I'm not quite sure how much I care for it, especially without knowing exactly what's going to come from all of this."

"Well," Steven said in between bites. He was finally eating. "I'm going to do whatever you're wanting to do, May. It was your dream, so I think you should call the shots."

May looked a bit overwhelmed at Steven's response, but she did her best to stay on track with the potential task on hand. "Wallace," she spoke, staying on topic, "you had mentioned something earlier about having the Splash Plate? Whatever happened to that?"

"Right…that thing…" Wallace said bemusedly, a combination of trying to remember and debating on giving an answer, "I lost it in a bet to a friend in Kalos. I didn't know anything about it, just that my Ludicolo really loved it, and its water attacks were increased in power while holding it."

"That's still just one plate," Steven mumbled. His pancakes were gone now, but Wallace eyeballed him curiously as he got up and helped himself to the kitchen and opened the fridge. "If your friend in Kalos even still has this Splash Plate, that still leaves fifteen other plates on which we have no leads."

Wallace remained silent, but he tapped his chin, thinking. It almost seemed similar to the way Norman was acting on the phone the night before. May stared at him until she got his attention, to which he gave a defeated sigh.

"I know I shouldn't worry…" Wallace admitted, "but something about all of this isn't quite sitting right with me. And everything with the legendaries of Hoenn sat with me just _fine_."

"Well, _Hoenn_ turned out just fine," May offered. She didn't realize she had her fists in balls on her knees until she felt her Delcatty trying to wedge herself underneath her arms to be pet. This wasn't the conversation she had expected from Wallace. Sure, they were close, but she always saw him as the "let's make sure everyone's drunk enough at the contest after-party" friend, not the "let me check on your mental health and well-being" friend.

"Yes, that's my point, and look at _you_," Wallace countered, gesturing a hand toward her this time. May felt her stomach lurch. She knew where this was going. "I get that it can't always be helped, since you are the heroine of Hoenn after all; Arceus won't let me forget it. But please, don't forget that you can ask for help sometimes, too."

May subconsciously grabbed her Delcatty's ears to nuzzle the feline Pokémon. She didn't have a response just yet to Wallace's concern. What, was she supposed to ask for help before? Was it all some kind of a test, and she failed?

The room was uncomfortably quiet for a moment, until Wallace eventually grunted to himself, and decided to make a quip at Steven. "Were my pancakes not enough for you?" he asked, just as Steven came back to the table and set down a plate of Razz berries. Steven didn't answer, he just continued to eat.

Wallace reached an arm up to scratch behind his head, then said, "There was someone in the League who could use clairvoyance, a psychic ability that pinpoints the location of items. I can't remember who for sure, but I know that such a person exists in our ranks."

"So like a human itemfinder?" May asked, her pep suddenly back again. At the end of the day, Wallace was going to do what he could.

"Precisely," Wallace answered, followed by a sigh. "I'll…make a few calls, then get back in contact with you when I get some details straightened out." He paused and looked at the duo before him. They really were an unlikely combination, one from white collar and the other from formerly blue. He let himself chuckle before speaking again, "Why don't you two go figure out some more of Steven's memories?"

May and Steven exchanged glances. If May didn't know any better, she'd say his expression was on the dazed side. She was the first to stand up, followed by recalling her Delcatty into its Pokéball. "Thanks for breakfast, and for letting us stay again," she said sincerely, although how quickly she was moving indicated otherwise, "but I guess we'll get out of your hair for now."

"You know that's not what I mean!" Wallace called after her as she disappeared back into her guest room again to change for the day and collect her things. Wallace sighed again, and took a good look at Steven, whose face was just as confused as ever.

"I keep getting this feeling…" Steven began to confide in his friend, "that I'm going to mess everything up, somehow."

Wallace's heartfelt expression only lasted a moment, before it shifted into a cheeky grin, and a hand on Steven's shoulder. "Just work with May on getting your memories back," he tried to assure, "I'm sure what you're feeling right now has more to do with your uncertainty, _unlike_ these omens May keeps getting from _your_ Eon Pokémon."

Steven's eyebrows pinched in thought, and he then asked, rhetorically, "Why do I trust her so much?"

Wallace tried to keep the humor he found in Steven's question to himself, but it turned into a laugh as he collected plates from the table. "I don't know that anyone quite knows, except that you just always have," he said, realizing that Steven might actually need the answer to his question considering his current condition.

May returned to the living room, dressed for the day and ready to go, and Steven promptly rose from his chair when he saw her. Wallace snickered, but got up as well nonetheless.

"Have fun," Wallace said in a teasing voice, "and _behave_. I swear, if I see one more Buzznav story about one of your rendezvous then I'll have no choice but to fly to Mauville and spill everything about you two myself." He realized his teasing might have gone too far after seeing their scrunched faces in reaction, but he couldn't help himself. They were hopeless. "Please, just go," he said, motioning with his arms to the door this time, "I'll call you when I know more about the plates."

"Alright, May, where are we headed today?" Steven asked as they made their way down the steps of Sootopolis from Wallace's home.

"Let's take a stroll through Route 120," May proposed, "You, uh, gave me some more things there, and well, my secret base is there, too, so I thought we could maybe stop there for a bit."

"Route 120?" Steven mulled. "If your secret base is there, why don't we go to Fortree first? Aren't there secret base shops we can check out?"

"W-what?" May stuttered and blushed. "We really don't have to do that…"

"Nonsense!" Steven said, his Eon Flute now in hand, "we'll already be in the area, so we might as well see what they have!"

Shopping with Steven was an experience. Yes, they had gone to Lilycove together before, but that was shopping for necessities. Shopping for items for May's secret base was a whole new game, because it wasn't shopping for needs, it was shopping for wants, which Steven seemed to deem just as necessary as needs.

"This Swablu doll looks like something you'd like."

"I don't know that I have room for it, though…"

"Okay, then let's get you a small nightstand so you have more display space."

"_Steven_…"

When May turned around, her stomach turned to knots as she watched Steven purchase not only the Swablu doll and nightstand, but he looked like he was pointing behind the counter to the more expensive electronics. She rushed up to his side to see what else he was ordering, but by the time she got to the counter, the cashier was already entering the order into the system.

"And this is going into May Maple's account," Steven ordered.

"Of course. Your total comes to P300,000."

May swore she could've fainted.

"Ready to go decorate?" Steven asked, grinning, and not understanding why May looked so sick. May was still trying to process the amount Steven spent at home time, on decorations and furnishings, and forcibly turned her body to exit the shop.

When they crossed the bridge on Route 120, May stopped walking when she realized Steven was no longer following him, and turned to see him standing facing the water, hands on the rope, staring down at his reflection.

"Steven, are you okay?!" May called out to him, coming back to meet him on the bridge, and he held a hand up as if to stop her from coming closer.

"I'm…alright," he muttered. He knelt on one knee on the side of the bridge, pinching his forehead in his fingers as he squinted at his reflection in the water below. "I just need…a moment."

May watched as Steven silently struggled. He must have been recollecting more memories of her, and even though she knew it wasn't her fault, she still felt some guilt over what he was going through because she knew he was regaining memories of her. She knelt down next to him, only offering eyes, and after a few seconds, he returned her look. She tried to read his face, but his was full of searching hers, too. Steven's eyes flickered back to the water for a moment, before he looked back at her with his soft smile and said, "Let's get to your base."

Now, Steven had imagined that May's secret base was probably going to be on the more decked out side, but the interior was actually quite quant. With only a bed and a small dresser with a Mudkip doll and standard laptop on top of it, it was minimalist at best.

"I know it's not much," May stammered quickly, "but it's really just a place to stay when I'm tired of staying in a Pokémon Center."

Steven walked straight to her laptop and his fingers started tapping the keys. "Well, now it can be more of a hangout for you," he said, and her new nightstand appeared next to her bed, and in a moment, the Swablu doll on top of it. "Your secret base should be your home away from home."

"I know," May replied, helping herself to going up to her new nightstand and admiring her new Swablu doll. She'd be lying if she didn't admit that she really had wanted it. "I just never really gave it much thought."

May just about peed herself when the Skitty TV appeared on her wall, but when she recovered from shock, she said, "Wait, I don't remember seeing that when we were in Fortree…"

"I might have been able to still order it from the Lilycove department store and still have it put into your account from Fortree…" Steven bashfully said.

May could only gawked. A TV. She had her very own TV now. And it was shaped like a _Skitty_.

An attract mat appeared on the floor, and a jukebox next to the wall. A Pikachu family poster was hung up on the wall by her bed, several cushions appeared near and around the attract mats, and some colorful plants were placed near the entrance of her base.

May was flabbergasted. "Steven…you didn't have to do all of this for me…" she said, still looking around her newly furnished base.

"I recognize that," Steven said, allowing himself to have a seat on one of the cushions on the floor, "but I wanted to. If I knew your base was this barren, I would have gotten more things for you."

"No, really, this is more than enough," May said, coming to sit down with him on a cushion, and not quite sure what else to say. The man had just spent P300,000 on her, and that was just on decorations for her home away from home, not anything they needed.

"There's something that's started to bother me since I regained my memories on the bridge, if you don't mind me chatting," Steven said. He was sitting relaxed now, with an arm resting on his propped knee, and looking up at the newly decorated walls. May audibly gulped, but she nodded in response.

"I still don't remember anything about how you saved Hoenn and became Champion," Steven explained, "so I also don't remember any of my own involvement with everything that was going on. Did I just disappear?"

May's brain hit a dead end. To her, in that moment, that seemed like an odd question. "No, you hadn't disappeared _yet_," May said, beginning to feel heat in her face and trying to ignore it as she replayed the scenes in her mind, "and you helped and encouraged me through everything I went through."

"I did? That at the least is some comfort, despite…me apparently still disappearing at some point," he said, his voice trailing softer in the end, "but here I'm wondering why I wasn't more involved. I was the champion. It should have been my responsibility to handle things as I saw fit and lead Hoenn in the proper direction, not yours."

"Well, you certainly gave me direction," May said. He sure did make the conversation more serious after he thoroughly spoiled her. Did he buy all these things because he felt like he needed to make up for something? "You helped me understand everything that was going on, and clearly laid out to me the options."

Steven stayed silent for a moment. "I realize it might be meaningless to only continue theorizing about it, but I can't help but feel that there was more I should have done, and at this point I don't know why I didn't try to do more."

"For whatever it's worth, not once did I think you should've done more," May responded naturally. "Things were hectic, and sometimes tensions were high, too. You," May did think carefully this time before continuing, "were probably acting within your limits."

_Acting within limits?_ Steven repeated in his head. On one hand, it made sense to an extent. On the other, as he currently understood how events had played out, he was still having a hard time comprehending why everything had fallen on _May_, and why he hadn't stepped up more throughout any of it.

May's heart twisted at seeing Steven's face still contorted in thought. "Why don't we go to Route 128? That's where you met up with me after the weather became disastrous, the prophecy of what was depicted in Granite Cave."

Steven was about to agree when his Pokénav began to ring. He pulled it out of the inside of his suit jacket to answer, and sure enough, it was Wallace again.

"I hope you have good news?" Steven said to answer the call.

"Right you are," Wallace replied, "I did some thorough snooping, and I discovered who it was with clairvoyance. His name is Morty, and he's a gym leader in Ecruteak City in Johto."

May couldn't hear much of what Wallace said, but her attention was caught with the word Johto, and she tried to listen in more.

"Fantastic," Steven replied, his faith becoming restored in their adventure, "so how are we proceeding from here?"

"I managed to schedule a video phone date for you with him," Wallace continued, "All you need to do is get to a Pokémon Center at 8 o'clock tonight, and call the Ecruteak Pokémon Center. He'll be th-r- wa-t-ng, -nd –e'-l h-p-f-l- b- a-l- t- t-l- y-u t-e –o-a-i-n- o- t-e p-a-e-"

"Wallace?"

"S-e-e-? S-i-, n-t t-i- a-a-n."

Steven pulled his Pokénav away from his face to see if the call was lost, but the screen was actually covered in static.

"No…" May automatically whispered when she saw the screen after Steven lost the call, "that's probably not good."

"This is the first time my Pokénav has ever dropped a call," Steven said, still staring at the screen of the malfunctioning device.

"My Pokénav has only noticeably done that twice," May explained slowly, "when I went into the Cave of Origins, and when Mossdeep was transported to Kanto."

It only took a moment for May and Steven to exchange fretful glances before they leapt to their feet and exited the secret base. When they got outside, May was able to let go of the giant breath she was holding.

"We're…still on Route 120," she breathed in a relieved tone. They looked around, and everything looked the same. The small pond was before them, the bridge was above, and the sky was as beautifully blue and clear as ever. May took her Eon Flute out of her fanny pack to summon Latias, but when she played it, there was no response. No Eon Pokémon swirling down to them from the air. May gave Steven a worried look, and he promptly took out his own Eon Flute to summon Latios. He also failed to receive a response.

"We should travel to Southern Island to see if Latias and Latios are there," Steven said, taking a Pokéball off of his belt and taking out his Skarmory. "You still have your Eon ticket, right? Let's go to Slateport's dock and see if we can catch a ferry to Southern Island."

Steven mounted his Skarmory, and May called out her Altaria to do the same. The flight to Slateport was closer to two hours, and that would've been just a wee too long for both of them to be riding one of their own Pokémon that wasn't Latias or Latios. Their flight was uneventful, but things seemed off as soon as they got to Slateport.

May tried showing the sailor her Eon Ticket, and the sailor only eyed her suspiciously. She frowned, and held the ticket up higher, but the sailor still remained silent. "Is there someone else I need to show this ticket to?" May asked, not satisfied with the sailor's response.

"No, I know exactly what that is," the sailor replied, "but the man designated to administer that ticket has not done so yet."

"The man designated?" May repeated with scrutiny, "yeah, that's my _dad_, so I'm not understanding why this is an issue."

"Miss Maple, I understand that the one in charge of giving Southern Island permissions is your father," the sailor said, also acknowledging that he knew who she was, "but I have specific instructions to hold off on Southern Island right now."

"I don't understand," Steven said under his breath, so that only May could hear him, "haven't you come here with your father before?"

May turned around to face Steven so her back was towards the sailor. "Yes, but something's telling me that doesn't matter to this guy."

"Should we go see your father, then?" Steven asked.

"It's sounding like we have to," May answered, already getting her Pokéball with Altaria inside ready, "I don't like that neither Latias or Latios responded to the Eon Flutes."

Steven pulled his Pokénav out again just to check, but his eyebrows pinched together as he looked at the device. "It's still all static," he said, holding it up to show to May. May reached into her fanny pack to check her Pokénav as well, only to see that hers was also completely covered in static.

"First, we visit your father," Steven said, "and then we head to Devon to get this," he waved his Pokénav in the air, "situation figured out. There's no reason why neither of us should not be getting service right now. Not to mention…" Steven paused, and looked around the port before speaking again, "now there's something else that's bothering me. Isn't it nearly impossible for us to be in Slateport without being swarmed with the paparazzi?"

"Now that you mention it…" May muttered, now also taking a look around the port. It was nearly empty aside from them and sailors who worked at the dock, "this is unusual. You're right."

"I mean, I'm not complaining," Steven added, taking the lead to exit the building now, "but it doesn't make me feel any better about you being treated oddly here."

Just like before, May and Steven flew on their respective Pokémon, but this time to Petalburg City, and landed right next to the Pokémon Gym where May's dad worked.

"You don't want to come in with me?" May asked, noticing that Steven seemed to be lingering outside of the gym instead of following her inside.

"Ah, I think I'm just going to wait here," Steven replied in an oddly inflected tone, using a finger to loosen his ascot. He was acting oddly out of character. May stared at him as his fingers fumbled at his collar, then the buttons of his suit jacket, then his lapel…

"Steven…does my dad _scare_ you?" May asked in a teasing voice, but also finding the question itself ridiculous, "you were the one who suggested coming to see him in the first place."

Steven's eyes snapped to May's. "What? Of course not," he cracked, his words sharper than he meant them. May's face revealed her complete disbelief in his response, but she managed a shrug.

"Okay, okay, I'll hopefully be right back," May said, and disappeared behind the gym doors.

Steven glanced around the quaint, quiet town as he stood outside the gym. He couldn't remember really ever spending a whole lot of time in Petalburg previously, but part of that was also that there really wasn't much business to be conducted there. Sure, there was the gym, but Norman was always able to commute to wherever League meetings were being held and there wasn't ever a reason to hold business in Petalburg. It was peaceful, and much less bustling than the Rustboro he was more used to frequenting, but that wasn't a bad thing.

"Steven?" a familiar voice came from behind him. He spun around, and there was May already coming back outside from the gym but…she looked different. Did her dad have a change of clothes for her?

"Did you change clothes?" Steven couldn't help but say first thing. It was peculiar; she definitely wasn't wearing green and orange before. In fact, Steven was pretty sure he had never seen that outfit on her before.

"Spend so much time in a cave that you forgot what I look like?" May taunted back, but she was brimming with so much energy that she hardly realized his question, and that's when Steven noticed that her badge case was clutched in her hand. Again, peculiar.

"So what did you figure out?" Steven tried asking instead. May really was acting strange, and he needed her to get back on task if they were going to figure out what.

May paused to think about this question this time. "I learned that no matter what, my dad just wants what's best for me, and wants to see me succeed," she said in an oddly protagonistic tone, holding her badge case to her chest and looking off to the wind. Steven was dumbfounded. What was going on with May? Her Pokénav started to ring, and when she reached to answer it she only giggled before she said, "Are you playing a joke on me, Steven? Why would you call me when you're right here?"

When Steven saw May's Pokénav though, something in his brain clicked. That was an outdated model of the Pokénav, and he didn't think he'd seen that specific one in years, let alone knew for a fact that that wasn't the one he had given to May.

He quickly whipped his Pokénav out from within his suit jacket, to see if he accidentally dialed May, but low and behold, his screens were still completely full of fuzz. And when he lifted his head in a panic to tell May that it was impossible for his Pokénav to have called her, she was already running toward Route 102.

"Well, I've got to get going, I'm meeting up with Brendan, but I'll catch you later, Steven!" May called out to him as she ran out of town. Steven was completely bewildered. This made absolutely no sense. His chest tightened. Was she playing some prank on him? Was this his punishment?

Then…no, was he seeing double? Soon to exit the gym was Norman, but behind him…was May again, back in her regular outfit, and pale as a ghost.

_No_.

This was not right. May had just left town. Was he dreaming?

He wasn't dreaming.

"This definitely explains it then," Norman began to confirm stone-faced as they approached Steven, "You two are not from this timeline."


	9. Autotomize

As always, thanks again to everyone who reads, follows and favorites this story, it really does mean a lot to me that so many of you are sticking through with this horribly cliché plot that I continue to produce. Or for those of you that that's the reason you're still here, do not fear, as there are several more clichés coming your way! A big thanks to everyone that reviews, because without them I would have no idea what reaction my writing has, and having that is huge motivation to keep pushing out chapters. With all of that said, please enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it!

* * *

_Of Hoops and Holists - Chapter Nine_

_Steven had left more than just a Pokéball and a letter._

* * *

"Well, this settles it," Norman said, "because I just got off the phone _with_ Steven, who's visiting the Silph Co in _Kanto_ right now. You being here right now is impossible, not to mention your slightly differing appearances."

They were back in the Petalburg Gym now, in the room where Norman conducted challenges, sitting on cushions on the floor. They chose it best to stay inside to discuss their current situation, though they were all still trying to understand what that was.

May was doing her best to stay calm. This man looked just like her father, and had the same name as her father, but was somehow _not _her father. She glanced over at Steven to try to get a feel for how he was handling things, and she recognized that look all too well now. There was no doubt that he seemed a little shaken by all of this, and rightfully so.

"Dad, I mean…_Norman_," May said, needing a moment to correct her easy mistake, "do you know about the phenomenon of mega evolution?" Even in this confusing situation, May was starting to remember some of the things that Zinnia talked about. She had said something about an alternate world where mega evolution never became what they knew it to be in their world. If mega evolution didn't exist in this timeline, then that would be their sure way of knowing that they were not where they belonged. Steven glanced at her curiously that she thought of the question, but remained silent to hear the exchange instead.

"I can't say that I've heard of such a thing..." Norman said, "but does it have some relationship to your bracelet?" He pointed to May's bracelet, and while startled at first that he made such a connection, she still held it out for him to get a closer look. Norman paused for a moment, observing the piece of jewelry unknown to him, then spoke again, "I had a feeling that there was some kind of tremendous power coming from it. And sorry for staring," Norman continued, shutting his eyes, "but you really do look just like my daughter."

"And you look just like _my_ dad," May automatically replied. She was staring, too. She couldn't imagine how this Norman was feeling, having just been beaten by his actual daughter in a battle, and now meeting his daughter's equivalent from another timeline. Albeit, recognizing how frustrating it was for Norman, didn't make it any easier for May to understand for herself. This _was _putting into place and understanding though, a few of the things that Zinnia had talked about when they were trying to obstruct the meteor.

"Are you originally from Johto as well?" Norman asked. May nodded in response. "Do you remember the legends about Celebi?"

May paused for a moment, but then her face lit up. "Isn't Celebi a time traveler?" May asked in confirmation, getting a feeling she knew where Norman was going with this. "Do you think Celebi's existence proves the possibility for an alternate timeline?"

"I think the fact that we're _here _and that there are pieces of technology missing is all the proof we need," Steven interjected, also still trying to wrap his head around everything. He didn't mean to shut down the premise of a mythological Pokémon as proof, but it was unfortunately habit. He knew at least a _little_ better now, and needed to remind himself that they _were_ originally from Johto; that those culture differences still existed. Norman gave him a look that wasn't quite a glare, but definitely disproval, and Steven quickly explained himself, "When I had my confrontation with the May of _this_ timeline just outside the gym, I knew something was amiss when I saw her PokéNav. To my knowledge, the Devon Corporation hasn't used that model of the PokéNav in at least 5 years, and considering I work with the company's technology on a regular basis, you can understand why that threw me for a loop." Steven gave a deep sigh, and threw a hand through his hair in contemplation and frustration. It was evident that all parties involved were not quite sure what to think.

"So...how do we even proceed from here?" May asked, almost rhetorically, and slumped into her seat.

"I think a decent place to start," Norman began to suggest, "is to find an explanation as to how you even got here in the first place."

"In our timeline," Steven started to explain, his forehead scrunching as he tried to recall past events to the best of his ability, "islands have been appearing and disappearing along the ocean route, and we're pretty sure these islands are from other regions. We've been exploring them, in hopes of finding some kind of explanation, and some trips have been luckier than others."

"Sometimes they've been transported while we were on them, and sometimes we watched islands disappear before our own eyes," May added. "Has anything like that been happening here?"

"It's _several_ islands you say?" Norman repeated as a question, just to make sure. "We've only had that happen with a single island, and even then not everyone believes it," he explained. "It's earned the nickname "Mirage Island," and it's just east of Pacidlog town. We also have no explanation for _why _it comes and goes, but in regards to _where _it might be from, well, we don't have any leads on that either."

Steven and May exchanged worried glances. They had done so much island hopping already, and island hopping wasn't even how they got into this mess this time.

"To think…islands have been transported not only to different regions, but different…_universes_…as well?" Steven worded carefully, his voice low as he came to the conclusion as he spoke. They were still wrapping their heads around teleportation, the premise of an entire island going from one region to another, and now this?

"So does this mean that my entire secret base was transported while we were inside it?" May asked in a deadpan tone, mostly to herself, "I can't even think...of how we begin to explain this…"

"To the League," Steven finished for her as she trailed off, "I'm still having a hard time believing this for myself."

"I don't know that much surprises me, anymore," May mumbled, and Norman quirked an eyebrow at her in response.

"You mean that this doesn't entirely shock you?" he asked, but mostly to prompt her, as he felt he already knew the answer.

"A few months back, there was this woman...Zinnia," May spoke slowly, recollecting her memories from the trying time. She looked to Steven, and she swore his eyes flashed for a moment, but he still looked at her curiously. That's right, it would make sense that he didn't remember anything about her, or what happened with Rayquaza and Deoxys. "Hoenn was in a little bit of a jam, and this girl, Zinnia, a Draconid, she kept talking about other universes, dimensions, timelines, ones different than ours, but still similar, and how we have to preserve them in any way we can." May paused again, remembering the scenario now all too well, "She did some awful things, and her actions weren't justified, but weren't wrong, either. In the end, her plan worked out, but I could tell she was speaking from what she knew to be truth, and there was a lot of pain coming from her words."

Steven only sat silently, watching May as she spoke, but Norman's eyes squinted as he brought a fist to cover his mouth, grimacing. "I hate how much sense this makes. This _jam_, it was a meteor, wasn't it?" Norman asked, but by the reaction of May's face, he knew he was spot-on.

"Your mother, I mean, _my_ wife…" Norman said, stuttering a bit, as he was putting the pieces together while he spoke, "has been doing quite a bit of sight-seeing since moving to Hoenn, and she's taken an interest in the Draconid reserves, doing all her shopping there, meeting the natives…" Now his head was in both of his hands, because he managed to say, "We were invited to a festival coming up, some celebration of "our" Hoenn being safe from some destruction that we don't even understand...I thought it was completely ridiculous at first, but now...it seems the Draconid people could sense what happened in another universe versus what was _supposed_ to or _about_ to happen."

It was a lot to follow, but May understood, and her expression broke into a tiny smile, "Then it really was worth it…" she muttered, almost a whisper, "and it actually worked."

May was pretty sure this was what the beginning of closure felt like.

Steven had no idea how, but May's regular smirk was back, and she rose to stand, her hands in determined fists at her sides. "We should probably go soon," she said, looking to Steven, who only looked back at her dumbstruck, "if it's true that we're being targeted, then we need to be on our way before the whole city of Petalburg gets taken away by whatever keeps dragging us about."

Norman stood to meet May, and May couldn't help but feel her heart strangely twinge at the look he was giving her. It was a mix of comfort and confusion. "I can't help but feel like I should be thanking you," he said with a half smile, now shaking his head at the ground, "and I hate how much sense this is starting to make. Don't get me wrong, I'm relieved that there is some kind of answer, but that doesn't mean I care for _any_ of this."

"Somehow I think we were brought here just to meet you," May said, and reached a hand to Steven for him to stand as well, as he'd still been sitting, just watching. She couldn't blame him for not knowing how to react with all of this. He still couldn't remember what had gone on with Zinnia and the Space Center, and now that she had this coming on sense of closure, she was getting more anxious to get back and get his _memories_ back, too, so she could figure out just what was going on in _his_ head back then.

Norman returned eye contact with her and nodded. "Are you the champion of your league?" the leader asked as he led the two out of his gym, although his question was geared towards May.

May let a little bit of a grin show, but mostly to herself, and said, "Yeah, but it wasn't without a good battle," and she gently elbowed Steven, but immediately regretted it, based on his facial response that was clearly confused and conflicted. He still didn't remember. They needed to work on that.

"So what's your plan?" Norman asked next, "nothing too public I hope. I don't need my daughter getting caught up in this."

"I don't think we really want to get noticed while we're here, anyway," May responded, glancing at Steven to confirm, "We have a theory of us being targeted by a Pokémon, and if that theory is true, then we need to get out into the air, and back to my secret base, if it's even still there." May worried her bottom lip for a moment, then said, "We're searching for artifacts called _plates_ in our Hoenn; does that sound familiar to you at all?"

And just like that, Norman's face hardened and paled, and May felt a pit grow in her stomach. Why the sudden change in demeanor at the mention of the plates? "Are things that dire for you right now? Are you out of other options?"

May scrunched her forehead and caught her breath. Looking at Steven was becoming a habit but in that moment she started to wonder if facially reaching to him was only bringing him more stress. "I…I'm not sure, to be perfectly honest," May stuttered, "we actually…don't know much about the risks…and I don't think we even knew that there were risks to be considered."

Norman let go of a previously restrained sigh, then said, "I could be wrong. The effects could be different in your universe. It would be worth reaching out to Cynthia, champion of Sinnoh, that is…if she _is_ the champion of your Sinnoh? She'll have more answers than someone like me."

This time Steven nodded and spoke, "That she is. I'll make a note to get into contact with her when we get back."

"Well…" May began as they stepped out of the gym, "this has been…thoroughly weird, to say the least." She reached her hand out towards Norman, and he met hers with his own to shake, "you should see if you can find out any more information on that island out by Pacifidlog."

"It's first on my list," Norman replied, "and if you somehow find yourselves stuck here or wind up here again, you come straight to me and we'll work things out from there."

Steven and May nodded, and released their Skarmory and Altaria, respectfully, mounting their flyers. When they took to the sky, May was finding herself not calling on Altaria to reach their regular level of altitude, because she was caught up in hyper-analyzing the landscape and everything they flew over to see if she could notice any differences. She wasn't broken from her unconscious gaze until Steven and his Skarmory passed her on the side she was looking.

"We should really get higher, May," Steven called behind his shoulder to her, now taking an upward incline, "we need to take whatever precautions we can as to not garner any attention to ourselves."

May shook her head quickly so she could refocus her attention, and urged her Altaria to follow Skarmory's upward climb. Steven was right. They couldn't afford making contact with anyone else while they were here, which, reminded May of something Steven had said earlier. She had Altaria pull up to fly by Skarmory's side.

"When we were in the gym," she called out to Steven, "you said something about coming into contact with the me of this universe…" She tried to watch for Steven's expression while she spoke, "what was that like?"

"Ah…" Steven started, his lips pressing together in thought of recalling the event, "considering I thought _she_ was _you_, and she thought I was the me of _this_ world, it was…" He looked straight ahead again, and May couldn't tell quite what was the expression he was making. "It was…_humbling_?"

May watched him for a moment more, expecting him to continue, but he didn't. His expression didn't change, and he continued guiding his Skarmory forward, so May did the same with her Altaria. The bridge above the pond near the entrance of May's secret base was now in sight, and she could feel her chest build with anticipation. Hopefully their theory was right.

"Humbling wasn't the right word," Steven spoke up again. So, he wasn't done talking, after all. May quirked her head toward him when she heard his voice and her eyes searched him expectantly. "I was scared. When you…when _she_, acted so…I don't know if _short_ is the right word. She was in a hurry, and she ran off, and…"

May eased her Altaria so that they were right up next to Steven and his Skarmory.

Steven didn't make eye contact, but he turned his head toward her when he said, "It'd be a lie if I said it wasn't still bothering me," and he turned his head to look forward and down again before muttering, "…a little bit."

Of all the moments they'd had so far, this was when May knew she felt her heart swell. She convinced herself it was okay to push herself to be bold, and reached a hand out to him as she said his name to get his attention. His cheeks went pink when he saw her gesture, but he cautiously raised his hand to meet hers after a moment of understanding just what said gesture was. May faced her palm toward him and laced her fingers in his, and she simultaneously thanked and spited Altaria and Skarmory in her mind for understanding what she was doing as they leaned in together.

May was shocked she'd managed to maintain eye contact with Steven for this long, but her gut feeling that led to her actions in the first place was reinforced when she felt his fingers tighten around her hand. "I'm not running off, Steven," she delicately worded, somehow knowing that that was where his fears were.

His fingers tightened again, and he felt his arm wanting to pull her closer, even though they couldn't get much closer while riding their Pokémon. "Are you sure?" he barely said, his eyes going downcast again. May could hardly hear him, and she knew those were words he didn't want to say, but had to ask.

"Steven, please look at me," May's voice pleaded, and when Steven's eyes caught her own again, his expression changed.

He withdrew his hand from hers, and leaned for his Skarmory to bring distance again. May was ready to sternly call out his name again, but he spoke before she could. "I'm sorry. You shouldn't have to speak to me this way," he said, and taking the hand that was holding hers, threw it through his hair, straightened his posture, and forced a laugh. "My guard's been down too long, and while I thought it was going to improve as I regained my memories, I feel that the opposite has been what is actually happening."

May didn't want to completely close the distance he created, but she was feeling torn at the gap between them, and leaned in slightly when she said, "In your defense, it's not really your fault. And…you shouldn't have to put up a guard with me, okay?" May wasn't expecting Steven to look back at her again, but he did, and her heart swelled once more when he gave the softest smile and gave the slightest nod. They were close enough to where they needed to be to access the pond, and gently descended to a landing.

"Oh thank goodness," May muttered under her breath as her Swampert surfed them across the small pond under the bridge on Route 120, "it's still here." May made eye contact with Steven as if to say "here goes nothing" before she led them into her base for the second time that day, and low and behold, it was still hers. They cautiously stepped into the room.

"So…I guess we're just gonna chill here for a bit?" May sheepishly suggested.

Steven was about to agree, but then his face lit up with an idea, and he tucked a hand into his jacket, and withdrew his Pokénav. The screen, however, was still static. "If – and when – we're brought back to _our_ Hoenn, our Pokénavs should have service again," Steven explained.

It was uncomfortable for a moment, of them just standing there, of Steven staring at the screens of his Pokénav, and May self-consciously looking around her room as they waited. "And you trust staying here overnight after what just happened? Steven asked, reiterating what May had suggested on the flight over to her base, and lifted his eyes from the Pokénav to meet hers.

Clasping her hands together behind her back and shyly looking to the side, deciding to fix her eyes on one of her new mats, May replied, "If coming back here gets us _back_ to our Hoenn, I have a feeling that my base is done being tinkered with for now."

"And that's the feeling that you have?" Steven asked next, his tone of voice not quite matching the harshness of the question, and realizing that, he quickly clarified by stating in a softer tone, "I mean that for validity, not because I want to deny any feelings you have. I trust whatever feelings you have regarding all of this, truly."

Well, there was no point in changing her answer just because he was questioning her, right?" "Yeah," she finally said, looking back at him now, "I'm not worried about it anymore. And…" she sighed this time, looking around her newly decorated base, "it'd be nice to stay here again. I need that familiarity for at least a night, I think."

That statement drew a smile to Steven's face, but it only took a moment for that smile to slightly falter when he then asked, "And…it's alright for me to stay here with you? In case something does happen, so we're not getting split up…" He also took a moment to look around her base, then said, "I can buy another bed, and some room dividers, since we're headed back to Fortree."

"I think that's wise," May replied, but then blushed immediately, "You staying here, I mean," although there was no way for her to say they didn't need room dividers without it being embarrassing. She knew he was only trying to be gentlemanly and not a burden.

Steven looked back down at his Pokénav, and his small smile returned. He turned it towards May to show her the screen, and it was back to normal, aka, the indicator they needed to know they were back to where they needed to be. May's eyes though were immediately drawn to his Buzznav app, and the "30" hanging in the top right corner of the shortcut icon.

"Geez, do you just never check the news?" May asked in a teasing voice.

Steven looked at his Pokénav again, without hesitating to tap on Buzznav to open the app in question. "No, actually," he said with a concerned tone, "I usually check stories as soon as they appear." His eyes began scanning his Pokénav as he swiped his finger through stories. "Yeah, it's mostly gossip, but I still like to stay on top of events happening in Hoenn," he said as he was about to swipe again, but his face suddenly fell as his eyes rapidly read the story.

May didn't hesitate to ask, "What is it?" when she saw his reaction to obviously a story or headline.

Instead of saying anything, Steven handed his Pokénav to her so she could read it herself.

CONSTANT ABSENSE: LEAGUE BUSINESS OR SECRET BLOOMING ROMANCE?

_It's fairly common knowledge that Hoenn champions May Maple and Steven Stone have worked together in the past to protect and preserve the region, but is that the case this time? Their activity during previous events has veered on the side of secretive before, so it could be disconcerting that there is something big coming to the Hoenn region that requires preparation. However, their perceived activity recently leads belief otherwise. Maple and Stone were recently spotted checking in at a bed and breakfast on Floe Island: the smallest populated island of the Southern Islands of Kanto and popular __**honeymooner**__ destination._

May cringed at the bolding.

_Team Aqua Leader, Archie Ramos, was rumored to have captained their trip, but was unavailable for comment. Norman Maple, Petalburg Gym Leader and father to May Maple, was reached for comment but showed displeasure in his response to refuse comment, which further fuels speculation._

_Joseph Stone, father of Steven Stone and president of the Devon Corporation, offered us, "They sure have been close lately, haven't they? I wouldn't close out business as the possibility, though. I think we're all anxiously awaiting this month's League Report."_

_As are we, Mr. Stone. League Reports are published on the last Friday of the month._

May pulled her bottom lip in with her teeth into a grimace, and handed the Pokénav back to Steven without looking up at him. "At least your dad was sort of rational?" she tried to ask to spin things in a positive light.

"I'll deal with my father later," Steven grumbled, tucking his Pokénav back into his jacket. "For now, let's focus on getting to the Pokémon Center and getting the information we need to proceed."

May pulled her own Pokénav out to check the time. 7:43. They needed to get going. But it was impossible for her to not see the abundance of messages and voicemails waiting for her that must have collected while they were out of their service area. Steven could tell something else was up and offered her a concerned look, but she put her device away and said, "Just messages from today, but I'll check them after we talk to Morty." Steven only nodded in agreement, and they left her base for Fortree, a ten-minute walk.

The PC was in use when they arrived, and May recognized that hair. It was Winona, and it looked like she was in a call, too. They approached her to let her know they needed the PC, but May could see Steven physically hesitate before approaching the PC, only taking her a moment to register why.

That was Wallace on the screen.

Winona must have noticed that Wallace's attention had gone behind her, because she turned to look over her shoulder to see where his eyes went, and immediately flushed. Normally being seen chatting with Wallace wouldn't have mattered, but it was pretty well known that Wallace and Steven were _close, _if not best friends, so there was no way he didn't have assumptions about their video call, thanks to prior knowledge of their history.

Despite this, Steven had no issue turning his usual gentlemanly presence on, and grabbed a chair from the lounge space and pulled it right up next to Winona, taking a seat beside her.

"Greetings Winona, Wallace," Steven said, nodding towards them respectfully, "I don't mean to interrupt, but Wallace, as you know, we have a call soon." Steven felt zero remorse in breaking up their call. He knew they had every opportunity to get in touch, and he knew cutting them short would probably help that cause.

"We were just finishing up," Winona flatly stated, and Steven wasn't convinced. "I'm sure the _three_ of you have plenty to discuss anyhow. Until next time, Wallace," she said, but her eyes hardly addressed him as she relieved herself from the chair, opening that space for May.

May tried to offer a small smile and wave to Winona as she excused herself, but Winona only curtly nodded to her as she left. Feeling dismissed by this, May uncomfortably approached the PC and sat next to Steven.

"What was that all about?" Steven had no reserve in asking.

"She…wanted to see if I knew anything about the rumored islands," Wallace stated, but the way he shifted in his seat revealed that he knew he wasn't believable.

Steven's eyebrows pinched together before he questioned, "Are you getting back together?"

Wallace removed his beret and sighed, "I don't know…it's like she speaks in riddles when we talk…but she's considering taking a break from the league."

"Which is in spite of you though, correct?" Steven asked immediately. "I assume she of course didn't say it outright, but I imagine she's still trying to surpass you in strength."

_Since when was Steven an expert on relationships?_ May couldn't help but wonder, or rather, maybe he was more perceptive because he was more familiar with Wallace.

Wallace sighed again, and realized he was subconsciously ringing his beret in his hands, so he tossed it to the side. "Enough about me…" he drawled, clearly not interested in talking about himself any longer "how was memory collecting today?"

May and Steven swapped unsure glances for the hundredth time that day, before May decided to speak. "I think that's a conversation for later," she said, something that needed to be said clearly laced in her voice, but she wasn't sure she was ready to discuss everything that had happened to them that day with anyone other than Steven just yet.

"Hang in there, Wallace," Steven said with a small smile, signifying the end of their call with him, "We'll catch up with you tomorrow."

Steven ended the call and started going through the PC's directory to find the Ecruteak City Pokémon Center, and found it shortly after accessing the Johto list. The attempt at calling only lasted a moment before it was answered, the respective city's Gym Leader waiting for them on the other side.

"Good evening, Morty," Steven greeted, "thanks so much for taking the time to assist us."

"Morty nodded in response to them and said, "Steven," and narrowed his eyes before posing as a question, "…May? It's good to finally meet you."

May felt a tinge of flattery at his words, but then remembered that it probably had more to do with the fact that she hadn't gone on any official business yet. "Same to you, Morty," she responded, repeating his name so as to help better associate the name with the face.

"Let's get right to business, then," Morty said, and Steven nodded and pulled out his little black notebook from the inside of his jacket to write down the locations. Route 107, and Routes 124 through 130, with specific directions of how they could find them as well. After he listed them all, both Steven and May had looks of confusion, so Morty spoke up again. "I know what you're thinking," he said, "I mean not literally, I'm not a mind-reader, which is often a mistake, but I digress. I think it's wildly odd too, that all of the plates are located in the ocean routes of Hoenn. Makes finding them easier for you, but opens lots of questions about how they got there to begin with."

"I take it you've located these plates before?" Steven pondered aloud.

"You'd be correct," Morty disclosed. "I located them once before for the captain of Kanto and Johto's most well-known cruise line, the S.S. Aqua. Although, I can't say I know for sure what happened after he collected them, but they must have been relocated somehow after he got what he needed out of it."

There it was, May couldn't help but think, this mysterious _thing_, was probably what her dad from the other universe was about to warn them of. Morty just said he wasn't sure of what that thing was, but she was certainly starting to get a _feeling_ about it. Good or bad though, she still couldn't say.

"While I've got you, there's one other thing I'd like to mention, that might be of interest to you," Morty spoke again, his eyes now downcast and to the side as he flipped through his notes that he took, "While I was scanning the area, I came across an item giving off a strange energy from the Pokémart in Sootopolis, if you have the time to check it out."

"…strange energy?" Steven repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

Morty sighed, and pushed a hand through his hair as if to emphasize his attitude, "I really can't figure out how to explain it beyond that. But when I say strange energy, I mean _strange_. It's not like the plates, which are _actually_ artifacts. Artifacts that have a lot of history or lore surrounding them tend to give off certain energies or auras. This item is…some kind of container, a bottle I think? That's the other thing…" Morty faltered for a moment before continuing, "I can't get a read on it. That's why I checked it out to begin with, because it intrigued me, but I can't even figure out what it is for sure. It's holding something, probably this strange energy I'm sensing."

Steven and May looked at each other in worry, but it only lasted a moment as Steven turned back to the PC and said, "Thanks for the tip, Morty. We really appreciate your help."

"Hey, it's not a problem at all," Morty replied, a goofy grin appearing on his face. "Things have been slow lately, and you gave me something to do. I'll be looking forward to your reports to see what comes of all of this."

_Wasn't everyone_, May thought to herself.

They bade more thanks and goodbyes before ending the call, and even though May was starting to feel pumped at being one step closer to their mystery, she knew it was getting late and that it would be best if they turned in for the night soon, which is what they agreed on. But first, they went back to the Secret Base shop that they were just in that morning, where Steven made his purchases. It wasn't long before they were back in May's secret base, and Steven was at the laptop, setting up the new items he had just purchased. After the room dividers went up, a Swablu doll appeared on May's bed.

Before May could protest, Steven's voice meekly called out, "That's for earlier." May stared at the doll dumbly. He was really regretting how he acted while they were flying that much?

"Steven?" May voiced.

He didn't answer right away. May considered saying his name again but perhaps with a different inflection, until she finally heard a weak, "…yes?"

"…are you tired?" she asked.

Steven didn't take as long to respond this time. "Not particularly," he said, "I can't stop thinking about these plates, now."

"Me too," May said. She got up from her bed and poked her head around the room divider. Thank goodness he hadn't changed yet, which she hadn't realized could have been a flaw in her approach until after she saw him. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, hunched over with his elbows on his legs. She asked now that she was looking at him, "wanna go start at route 124?"

Steven was bewildered at the suggestion for a moment, but that ended in a slight chuckle and he said, "I think that'd be alright." Sure it was getting late, but going to bed right now seemed so anti-climactic, despite how exciting their day had already been.

"I don't think I could sleep right now anyway," May said after they exited her base, and she played her Eon Flute. Her face broke into a huge grin as her Latias' cry chimed out into the night air, and in a flash, the eon Pokémon was before them. May's pep was definitely evidently back again as she had no hesitation in leaping onto Latias' back, and eagerly reached a hand to Steven to help him up behind her. He let himself grin a little more than usual, and accepted her hand as he climbed up behind May.

When they took to the air, not that May was being _overly_ conscientious or anything, but she couldn't help but pay attention to how Steven's arms were around her. He wasn't holding her too tight on the sharp turns and jerks that she normally made Latias do, but he wasn't holding her uncertainly, either. Heat rose in May's chest. He was comfortable. And considering how unsure he seemed earlier, getting to feel that from him then meant the world to her.

They finished flying over Lilycove and reached the ocean, the beginning of Route 124, and they both became alert to look for the area Morty described for them to find their first plate, the Sky Plate. They needed to find a dive sport northwest of the Treasure Hunter's house, and the plan was for May to dive below with her Swampert to find it.

"Well, that's hard to miss," May spoke, but she wasn't talking about their target. Steven looked to see what she was referencing, expecting to see darker waters, but instead saw…a new island.

Steven could tell that May slowed Latias, and he had a feeling he knew what she was thinking. "Want to check it out?" he asked.

She tucked her head over her shoulder and asked back, "Are you okay with that? I feel awful dragging you all over the place."

Thank goodness for the night sky though, because May knew her face went crimson as Steven's arms drew tighter around her middle, and whether intentionally or not, he softly said to her, "I'm more than okay with whatever it is you're wanting to do." May tried to ease her breathing as she let Latias descend, and convinced herself that Steven was _unaware_ of how his response made her feel.

The island was completely forested, with trees as far as they could see, but there was a clearing that appeared to be a path leading within the island and into all the foliage. May led the way, and approached an old wooden sign that was shortly within the path.

_Ilex Forest is so overgrown with trees that you can't see the sky. Please watch out for items that may have been dropped._

"Wait a second…" May mumbled, the wheels in her brain turning. This sounded familiar, but…this wasn't an island. No _way_, there was no way that… She picked her head up, and looked around, the path taking a slight curve, and there she saw what she expected to see.

"What was that?" Steven called out to her, hastening his step to catch up. May had disappearing abruptly behind some trees, and he had no intention of losing her on another one of these blasted islands; he'd already learned his lesson there, and when he found her, she was approaching a small wooden shrine in a small clearing.

When May turned her head to respond, she had what Steven could only describe as the devilish grin he had come so familiar to knowing.

"We're getting your memories back."


	10. Geomancy

Longest chapter yet! So tragic IRL story time. I lost my copy of Alpha Sapphire. I bought a new copy, but I'm trying to play through quickly so I can adequately represent certain scenes and scenarios that will be coming up in this story soon. Also, tumblr user pokemonsavvy made more fanart of this story so PLEASE check out her page if you know what's good for your heart.

* * *

_Of Hoops and Holists - Chapter Ten_

_Steven had left more than just a Pokéball and a letter._

* * *

Steven's heart rate increased and his thoughts got fuzzy.

"I take it you're familiar with this place?" Steven decided to inquire, lifting a branch up and out of his way to better see May and what she was doing. She had recognized something she read on the sign, and she certainly seemed to recognize the shrine she was now approaching. But it was her _words_, full of certainty, that made his heart pound.

"Ilex Forest," May answered, without budging. She continued to face the wooden shrine, like she was contemplating a plan. No, she was most _definitely_ devising a plan. "This forest is _supposed _to be in Johto," she said, her voice hinting at a hidden drawl when she said the word 'Johto.' She'd been living in Hoenn for so long that her accent was mostly masked, and Steven noticed then that he hardly noticed it anymore until that moment.

"Remember the legendary Pokémon we mentioned earlier, when we were talking to my dad from the other timeline?" May asked. She had turned to face Steven now, but he noticed that she had a lingering hand in the offering space of the small shrine, and her eyes shined with something, probably determination, or wonder. "Celebi, the time traveler, and protector of forests. This is a shrine for Celebi, and it's said that Celebi created this forest, long ago. But…" May turned her head back to the shrine again, "Ilex Forest isn't an island…in fact, it's smack dab between a town and city. The fact that it was picked up and brought here, practically brought to us…" Her eyes shut, and she quickly shook her head, "No, everything is too much to be a coincidence at this point. We spoke of Celebi earlier, Celebi might be able to help us, and now Celebi's forest is in _Hoenn_."

"Surely Celebi doesn't show up for just anyone?" Steven was quick to warily say, trying his best to be open to the situation, but still faltering out of habit. May's head lifted enough toward him again to meet his eyes, and Steven found himself quick to respond in worry of her withdrawing because of his question. "I trust _you_ and whatever ideas you may have…and you seem to just have a _way_ with legendary and mythical Pokémon…"

That brought a smirk back to May's lips. Steven's heart skipped a beat. Did he cause that? "The legend goes that Celebi comes to times that it deems as peaceful…" she recited, "so if we want Celebi to come to this shrine, we should create a space that Celebi would want to visit."

"That makes sense…" Steven responded, but his eyebrows furrowed as he spoke, "but I'm still puzzled. What does that mean for us? What should we do? Things haven't exactly been peaceful for us lately, and that's not exactly the word that comes to mind when describing the region as of late."

"But," May was quick to respond, "I think we can communicate to Celebi that we need its help to bring _you_ peace." May started fishing through her fanny pack for something. "I think Pokémon like knowing that we want their help."

Steven had to reel himself in before he acted on his natural response to question what May thought she was doing, and instead settled for kneeling in front of the shrine along side her and find out that way. May took out her berry case, and sorted through to see what she had stored.

"Think Celebi will like Starf berries?" she said with a wink, placing the multi-colored fruit in the offering space of the shrine.

Gawking, Steven blubbered, "…that berry…is incredibly rare! How did you-"

"200 consecutive wins at the Battle Maison, and raising them was no easy task either," she explained, brushing her bangs subconsciously as she tried to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal, "but hey, you never know when you're going to need to make an offering to a forest guardian, right?"

May finished arranging the Starf berries in the offering space, and clasped her hands together in prayer. Steven tried to imitate what May was doing: clasping his hands together, keeping his eyes closed while facing the offering…what else? He opened an eye to peek at May, but she hadn't moved. How long were they supposed to stay like that? Was she saying a prayer in her head? Was he supposed to be praying, too? He closed both eyes again and tried to think. There was an evening breeze. He sensed May shift next to him. Was she cold? Hoot-hoot were "hooing" occasionally in the distance.

A hand coming between his own broke his thoughts.

May took Steven's hand in her own but didn't open her eyes.

"Celebi, if you're listening, which I think you are," she spoke, and Steven only listened, "please hear my prayer. I think you can help us, and I think you want to, too, which is why you're here in Hoenn, but please forgive me if I'm assuming too much."

May squeezed Steven's hand. "Steven had an interaction with Uxie, and lost his memories of…_me_." She seemed to have some hesitation in giving her description. "As you can probably guess, this has kind of made things…awkward for us. I don't want to seem like I'm asking too much…I don't even know if this is something you can do…but if it's possible…can you turn back time on his memories he lost of me?"

Her grip got tighter.

"Can you turn time on just those memories to before he lost them with Uxie? I ask this specifically because I don't want him to forget what's happened since then, the new memories we made, and-"

May paused. Steven opened his eyes and saw May looking at him with surprise.

"Did you feel that?"

Steven hoped the night was keeping them dark enough so that May couldn't see his creeping blush. May had spoken with such conviction in regard to what his memories of her meant to her.

"Feel what?"

May was now turning about and looked around and behind herself. "It felt like…someone touched my shoulder…"

Steven tried to answer her, but he was suddenly drawn speechless at the sight that he believed to be her answer. It was his turn to squeeze her hand.

May turned to look back at him, but her attention was caught, rightfully so, at the two large green eyes now looking back at Steven from within the shrine. The small, light-green creature happily helped itself to a Starf berry with on hand, and waved at May with the other.

"C-celebi?!" May's voice rang out in hushed wonderment, "are…you here to help us?!"

The forest guardian nodded enthusiastically, despite continuing to enjoy the berries made as an offering.

Steven felt a pit of anticipation form in his stomach, and it only grew when his eyes met May's. She looked at him with pure excitement. He was about to learn just _what_ they were. He already knew how he felt about May, quit precisely, actually; their trip to the Southern Island made that clear, and his near slip-of-tongue that he remembered from Route 120 taught him that there was a reason he kept his feelings to himself. Was he ready to remember that? May's obvious hope for this moment was driving him mad.

Well, Celebi seemed ready. It was almost as though May's words made the Pokémon feel like it had something to prove.

Celebi flew up to Steven, right up to his face, and Steven's hands hesitantly, but instinctively went to Celebi's sides as he closed his eyes, as the mythical Pokémon pressed its head to Steven's, and closed its eyes as well.

Now was her chance. As quietly as she could, even though it almost felt sort of wrong given their situation, May whipped out her Pokédex and snagged a picture. This was both too adorable and too important a research opportunity to pass up. She tucked her Pokédex away just as quickly as she'd brought it out when she was done, and focused her attention again on Celebi and Steven.

She still couldn't stop her goofy smile from how adorable she thought it was. Celebi might have been a legendary protector of Ilex forest and a time traveler, but it sure was cute, too. Steven's head was surrounded by a light-green aura – which May guessed was Celebi's power. Celebi seemed to be making incantations with its mouth, and Steven's forehead would occasionally crease in response. This went on for awhile, until Celebi's eyes broke open, and it flew back about a foot, apparently satisfied with its work.

May couldn't stop herself from being outwardly anxious, expectantly watching Steven. And in an instant, just like that, Celebi was gone, without a trace. And even with Celebi gone, Steven stared at the shrine where Celebi had been.

Steven's tone became much flatter than May remembered. "Let's get that plate, and then we should probably get to bed for the night," he said, without making so much as an effort to gesture to her or acknowledge that he was speaking to her. He rose to his feet, and started to make toward the exit of the forest.

May's head started to become tizzy. He was moving so fast. He just got his memories back…right? "Steven…" she said softly, and she noticed his head ever so twitch at hearing his name. So, he wasn't being unresponsive. She could tell something was up, and understandably so, so she said, "are you sure you don't want to talk through anything?"

"No, I definitely do," he replied without missing a beat, but his voice still remained monotone, and he kept his gaze away from her face, only drawing further worry from May, "but we _need_ to finish what we set out here to do for now, and we _need_ to get to bed. I _need_ to call Wallace in the morning about this _bottle_ at the Sootopolis Pokémon Center." He was digressing into a rant now. "We _need_ to finish finding these plates; we _need_ to continue researching these islands; I _need_ to set things straight with my _father_…"

Steven had just about run out of ramblings, but even if he hadn't, his breath got caught in his chest when he felt May's hand grasp his, and although he had been trying hard not to before, he couldn't help this time but to turn his head to look at her. Breathing had been difficult earlier, but now it felt impossible, looking at her face, full of that look that filled his heart with guilt: wonder and determination.

"And we're going to do all those things," May said, her eyes desperately searching his face. She picked up right away that this time, he didn't hold her hand back. It clicked for her that this probably wasn't something she would have normally picked up on anyway, but with how spur of the moment most of their journey recently had been, with all sorts of awkward hand-holding, most of that was followed by the sensation of her hand being held in return. He at least wasn't _retreating_, but his change in demeanor was causing her to falter, to say the least. She attempted a light squeeze as she pushed herself to say, "but you're still priority to _me_, Steven, and I want to make sure you're okay."

There it was. That's exactly what he'd been worried about.

"We'll talk later, okay?" He said, still not turning to look at her, pulling his hand from hers, and made for the exit again, "Let's go find the Sky Plate."

With hardly any more words exchanged, they left the "island" on Latios, and flew to the most northwestern diving spot of the route. May was quick to pull her diving gear on, and head underwater with her Swampert, leaving Steven alone ashore. His hand reactively went toward the inside of his jacket where his Pokénav was, but really now, most anyone he'd contact at that time was likely sleeping. Before he knew it, May and her Swampert had come back, panting, but the light blue artifact was in her hand.

They headed back separately on Altaria and Skarmory to May's secret base.

May racked her brain for how she could reach out to Steven as they silently got ready for bed back in her base, but she didn't want to push any boundaries. She knew that all of this had to be hard on him. She knew at least that much, that he probably needed to process all of this in his own time. But she also couldn't help but feel like being near her was putting him off, somehow.

Mina, May's Delcatty, instinctively came out of her Pokéball herself to keep May company as she went to sleep for the night. That comfort was at least something.

And the cat Pokémon woke her up and alerted her in the morning when Steven was trying to leave.

"Steven…" she drowsily called out, but she pushed herself to consciousness despite how tired she still was, "where are you going?"

He hadn't quite left the makeshift area that was her "bedroom," and she could see him stop, at least, as he only quarter-turned toward her. Was it an item of courtesy for her still being in her pajamas, or could he not look at her for some reason? Was she jumping to conclusions? She rubbed her face. Man, was she tired. What time was it?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," Steven said, even though May was wary to believe his apology and whatever he might say next, "I thought I'd go out and collect some of the plates myself, as sort of a reparation for all you've had to do for me."

"What? That…wasn't the plan," May said, pushing herself to a sitting position and swinging her legs over the side of the bed, "Just hang on, let me come with you."

"No, May, please-"

"Steven…" May said cautiously, getting out of bed and hastening her step to be by his side. She didn't like that he was putting this amount of distance between them now, considering the whole "he has his memories now what's going on" vibe she was getting. "You've been short with me."

"I'm sorry," Steven had zero hesitation replying, but still didn't look at her, "There's a lot for me to process right now." He continued to making strides out of her secret base, but May made sure to follow. He wasn't getting away just like that.

"Which is why you shouldn't shut me out," May quickly said. She startled herself at how she responded, but was proud of herself for holding on. She wanted no room for more misunderstandings between them. "Let me help you. I…_want_ to help you," she decided to keep up the streak of being bold, and took his hand to force his attention. "We didn't come this far together for you to be dismissive with me."

Steven wasn't holding her hand back. He was actually withdrawing, and May tensed at the opposite of what she expected. "Or, okay, maybe we did…" She lingered for a moment, waiting for him to react, and it felt like a lifetime. Pressure was building in the front of her head.

"It's not…like that…" he eventually said, although May could barely hear him, and even then, his response wasn't settling well with her.

The pressure behind her eyes was becoming too strong. She faintly heard a Wingull's cry from outside her base, and the sensation of sunlight warming her body reminded her that time was passing. "Do we need to spend some time apart for you to clear your head?"

That got his attention. May felt a ting of pride as his eyes finally met hers again.

"That's not-"

"It's okay if you do," May interrupted, maintaining control, maintaining eye contact, watching his face watch hers in return with uncertainty. "We can get the plates faster if we split up, anyway. Or, maybe you need to go see Wallace for awhile…or maybe your dad?"

_Nailed_ it. Something must be up with his dad, because at that mention, his eyes had flickered and he looked off to the side. So maybe it wasn't _her_, but something else on his mind. She watched his hands ball into fists, but his expression remained dejected.

"You don't mind?" he weakly asked.

"Of course not, especially not if it's bothering you this much." That was only partially true, but May didn't need to disclose that. She had gotten pretty used to spending time with Steven, and of course she wasn't horribly interested in breaking that streak. "You can't help it that you've got stuff of your own that you need to take care of, and I can't imagine how you're feeling if it's something you just remembered."

May watched Steven carefully. She could tell he was struggling with something, and knowing that it probably wasn't her that he was struggling with brought her some relief, but the fact that he was having a hard time with sharing still worried her.

"I'll feel guilty if you're getting all the plates yourself. Let me get the ones en route to Sootopolis. I can go diving with my Armaldo," he said, his Eon Flute already withdrawn from his suit jacket. "Call me though, if anything happens." That seemed to be that, then. He was leaving already. "Okay?"

"_Almost_ okay," May said, giving Steven some halt before mounting Latios, and he turned to face her again, his face puzzled.

And that was when she knew, at least to some extent. He might've been leaving in this moment, but she still had him. She still didn't know what this "interest" was that he had in her, but he clearly couldn't let go.

"Yeah, I'll call you if anything happens, but what if something doesn't happen? When do I get in touch then?"

Steven looked down at the ground, his lips pressed tight. That's it, she made him think. "I need to speak with my father, which I intend to do after collecting my share of the plates. If you don't hear from me before then, I'll call you after I make my trip to Rustboro."

"Promise?"

Steven's eyebrows knitted and his head twitched in perplexity. "We'll be in touch."

May sighed defeatedly and was not happy with that response, but Steven had mounted Latios and already took to the sky. Her face contorted to frustration as she watched them fly off toward Sootopolis.

* * *

Several hours of diving and self-contemplation later, and sometime in the afternoon, Steven found himself at Wallace's front door.

Wallace was eager to let Steven inside, but his face changed when he saw May wasn't with him. Steven invited himself to sit at the table, in a complete slump, before he flatly muttered, "I remember everything."

"Isn't that _good_ news?" Wallace immediately exclaimed, "why are you so down in the dumps?"

"I still need to speak to my father about certain _matters_."

"You mean you _still_ haven't told May about all of that?"

Steven's eyes flickered toward Wallace, but he only barely acknowledged the question with a sigh and looked distraught as ever.

"I'm shocked the two of you are even apart from one another right now."

"It was actually her idea, although, I was being an ass, so I don't blame her."

Wallace was quick to quirk an eyebrow in disbelief. "_You_? An _ass_? To _**May**_?"

Steven's face fell into his hands and he groaned. "I feel so stupid. Here we've been, traveling like pals, me in particular like a lost _Gogoat_, and now I'm here, remembering that I intended to tell her everything, when the time was right. Now the time will _never_ be right."

"Not with _that_ attitude it won't."

"Wallace, I nearly _kissed_ her! And while the intent was pure, have laid in bed with her on more than one occasion now. All because I couldn't remember, and let my _feelings_ get in the way."

"Couldn't remember what, exactly?"

"You know very well what."

"I don't see why your father's business endeavors have to get in the way of your happiness…"

Steven only heavily exhaled as a response.

"Are you at least going to go talk to your father?"

"…that was at least the plan. I had intended on meeting with him before I had lost my memory, too, after I returned from Kalos, but everything managed to slip out of control after that.

Wallace's face lit up with inquiry at the mention of Kalos, him clearly remembering something. "I had nearly completely forgotten about that, as well. We never got a chance to talk of that trip, either."

"Well, it was wildly uneventful, in regards to the trip's purpose, that is," Steven said, his voice regaining it's dejected tone once more.

"But you did manage to score your May-reminiscent Carbink," Wallace tried in a teasing voice with a wink, but Steven wouldn't have it.

"I'm a mess," he groaned, his head falling to his hands again, "Even things I set out to do of my own accord, I can't do without thinking of her somehow."

"Which isn't the issue, here," Wallace was quick on the recovery statement, "but you letting all this other baggage get in the way is."

Steven somehow managed a helpless shrug, then glanced towards Wallace's minibar. That was the only cue Wallace needed to spring out of his chair. So, they were day-drinking. "You'll visit your father tomorrow," Wallace said, catching on. He definitely didn't mind though, either. He loved playing host. "Want me to invite Brawly and Sidney? We can have a poker night." What with Steven having his memories back and still not feeling like himself, maybe a sense of normalcy of poker with the guys was just what he needed.

"I think I'd like that."

* * *

That's right, after countless hours of diving and swimming and accidental trainer encounters and numerous battles later, May remembered that she had had about a dozen things to check on her Pokénav. Well, now was as good a time as ever. She definitely wanted to go home now, too, even if seeing her dad was going to be sort of awkward, thanks to Buzznav. She called Latias with her Eon Flute, took to the sky, and started checking messages while they flew toward Littleroot.

_Are you coming to visit soon? Let me know!_ May's heart warmed and twinged with guilt at the same time in response to the text from her mother. Maybe it was family instinct.

The next text was from Brendan. _Sorry if my voicemail was weird. Let me know the next time you're in Littleroot. I miss you. _May quirked her head at the message, and made a note to keep that in mind when she got around to her voicemails, although saying that in text was already little peculiar enough.

_Call your mother. _Okay, dad.

_Scamp! I'm keeping on the dl right now. AKA headed back to Floe Island to make sure everything is okay in those waters. Let me know if you need anything. We'll try an adventure again soon, okay? _

Time for voicemails.

"May, it's your father. I hope you have a damn good explanation for this Buzznav article I just read. I'm not going to repeat any of the details because I know you know what I'm talking about. I love you but…really? Just…give me a holler. And call your mother!"

"MAYYYYYY, you've been scoring with STEVEN STONE? Like, UNCLE **WALLY'S** super hottie _hot_ Mc**Hot**ser friend STEVEN _STONE_?! You **HAVE** to call me back and tell me **EVERYTHING**. And we need to be in a contest together soon. _**CALL ME**_."

"May, it's Maxie. I wanted to give you a rundown of our current situation. Courtney's been making a recovery, it seems, little by little. Just like you said, I've been tending to her regularly, and we've been recording her progress, if you're interested. It might be useful information for the League, considering Steven Stone had a similar issue and in case something similar happens again in the future. I look forward to hearing back from you."

"Howdy, May…it's me, Brendan. I know we haven't talked in awhile. Just wanted to check in. You've been in the news a lot lately, but I don't know that you know what all they're saying about you, since it's all speculation, and no interviews…so, I was hoping we'd catch up soon. You can always call me."

Well now she'd have to visit Brendan, too.

She stuffed her Pokénav back into her fanny pack and heaved a heavy sigh. She still couldn't get Steven off her mind.

"It's fine that he wants space, right?" May rhetorically asked Latias as they flew through the Hoenn sky. She was feeling so torn. Of course she wasn't expecting a response, but this wasn't the first time she talked to Latias like this, and not the first time like this about Steven, either. "I mean, it's clear he cares about me, in _some_ kinda way, right?" Latias did some swerving to show she was listening. "I just…I really wonder what's going on. I know he had things to tell me before he lost his memory…how he's got it again, and he's gotta get away from me."

May flipped her Pokénav open again to blip through her texts. If she was headed home to Littleroot, she figured she should let _someone_ know. Her mom was probably a good place to start. She texted back right away.

_I'm flying home right now. I should be back in time for dinner. Think you can feed one more tonight?_

"I mean…it'll be nice to go home for awhile," May said aloud again to Latias. Latias swayed about somemore.

_Are you flying in on Latias? I'll whip up those Poképuffs she likes. Did you tell your father, or are we surprising him?"_

May sighed. "I think Mom's more excited to see you, honestly." Latias did some excited dipping. She knew what she was flying toward, too, apparently.

* * *

Sidney groaned, revealing his hand, "Ten high."

Wallace chuckled, "Cause that's a thing. Queen's over fours."

Brawly didn't even say his hand as he revealed his cards and got up from the table. "I'm getting another drink."

Steven was terrible at bluffing, although the number of drinks he'd had so far that evening certainly weren't helping, both his inability to bluff and his enlarged confidence for the game. "King-high straight."

Sidney already started reshuffling. "Sucker's luck," he said from under his toothpick, getting ready to deal another round. "We need a wager."

"No, no we don't," Brawly called out, making his way back to the table, another beer in hand.

"Not _money_, otherwise I'd own your Gym by now," Wallace countered, "although I don't disagree. Some friendly wagers could make things a little more interesting…"

"I think I have to agree with Brawly for once," Steven managed to say, his Pokénav making its way from inside his jacket into his hands, "I know I'm a few too many drinks in to…make sound betting decisions, let alone poker decisions."

"Says the guy likely about to make some Pokénav decisions he'll regret in the morning," Sidney chuckled as he commentated. "Just who you about to contact?"

Steven tried to side-eye Sidney, but side-eye turned into just looking, and much less shady. He even looked like he was about to answer, and completely failed, as his head fell back down to looking at his Pokénav, and he started writing a text.

* * *

As soon as May hopped off of Latias, she took a deep breath. The air smelled of Oran, and crisp wintergreen. It was already good to be back.

May didn't have to knock. Latias knew exactly where she was, and gave a cry at the door. It was only a moment before the front door flew open, and from within appeared May's mother with a huge plate of pink highly decorated Poképuffs. Latias went wild. She went even wilder when Norman came outside.

"I'm taking her for a ride after dinner," he said, immediately nuzzling the female eon Pokémon.

May rolled her eyes and gave her parents a sheepish grin. "It's good to see you guys, too," she said.

"We can tell you that we love you and miss you over the phone," Norman remarked, "but that's not quite the case with a Pokémon."

"I knowwww," May whined. She'd heard it about a million times, and she knew her parents spending time with Latias was important to both of them. "But I'm super hungry!" she cried, "what's for dinner?"

May's mother fed Latias one more Poképuff, nuzzled her head, then started to head back inside, saying, "If you'd told me sooner, I would've made your father go to the market in Slateport. I hope blintzes are okay."

"Sweet Suicune of course blintzes are more than okay," May slipped the uncommon expression in an exasperated instant. Yeah, traveling was wonderful, but visiting mom and dad was nice. It only took being with her parents for a moment for an old habit to reappear. Well, and the mention (and now smell) of, not necessarily even a favorite, but an old familiar meal. She found herself already gravitating toward the kitchen counter, reaching for the cabinets, eager to help set the table.

Dinner wasn't weird at all, despite her being home for the first time in awhile. Maybe it was meeting her father's equivalent from another universe that made her realize just how much she loved and appreciated her real parents. Although, that wasn't something she was going to talk about then and there, at least not yet, anyway.

Well, dinner was mostly not weird.

"Well, I'm just _dying_ to now how things have been going with _Steven!" _ May's mother's voice finally bubbled.

May's stomach lurched, and she didn't need to lift her head to have an idea of the expression on her father's face. Here came the conversation she was absolutely dreading. She was about to disappoint both of her parents for opposite reasons.

Mom – lack of progression with Steven.

Dad – extended interaction with Steven.

"I have an _idea _of how Buzznav portrays us," May began, and looked up. Her heart eased. Her dad's face wasn't as scary as she thought it'd be. "But everything's legit just been league business. It's been research ad field study."

Her parents' faces became that of disbelief.

"Wait, hold on a second," Norman was quick to interject, "has he at least kissed you yet?!"

"Oh, Ho-oh, no!" May cried, her face becoming beet red at the topic of conversation her parents were now engaging with her. "I don't even know that he _likes _me that way, Dad!" Her mind briefly went back to the night Steven first lost his memory, but she quickly blocked it out. That very well could have been other factors that led to that moment…right?

"So…all this time the two of you've been spending together, have been _strictly_ business?" it was her mother's turn to speculate, in what may felt was a concerned tone? "Are you sure some of that wasn't meant to be dates, and maybe you just didn't realize?"

May's mind flickered to the island before Steven lost his memory. How could she not think about that day? Of course she'd dissected that day in her mind again and again; how Steven had been both close and aloof at the same time with her. "Mom…I really don't think so," she said in a defeated voice. They sure were cracking down on her, and it didn't feel good.

"Seriously?" Norman sighed, picking his fork back up and using it to point at his daughter, "May, you need to ask him out on a date, and if he doesn't kiss you by the end of the night, he's gay."

"Dad!" May cried. This was _not _what she had expected from her father at _all_.

"What?" Norman tossed his fork down and crossed his arms. "Am I going to be protective of you when it comes to dating? Of course! But yaknow what almost pisses me off more than a boy who wants to use you? At least a boy like that I know you'll tell off yourself. What pisses me off _more_, is a boy who I know my daughter likes, and he won't stop pussy-footing her around the damn region. You're a beautiful, charming, intelligent young lady, and there's no reason he shouldn't be trying to put the moves on you at any chance he can get! Unless, of course, he's gay."

Oh Arceus.

May saw her mother roll her eyes, but she also hadn't given that possibility any thought. She needed to think some more.

She started to push herself from the table.

"I'm gonna go see Brendan."

"Good idea," Norman said, "Brendan's a nice looking boy, yeah? And maybe you can string him along if you want to see if it makes Steven jealous."

"Dad!"

"Sorry, sorry."

"May, forgive your father, and go have fun."

"Yeah, okay." She remembered to take out her Eon Flute, and handed it to her dad. "Play nice."

May exited her home, and took a deep breath. That was so much more than she expected, and not what she'd expected at all. So…was her dad rooting for her with Steven, then? In his own weird, dad way?

She looked over to Brendan's house. Why did she feel so nervous to go see him? She made herself head over, and knock on the door. When Mrs. Birch answered the door and saw who it was, her face lit up.

"May!" she answered, "please, please, come in!" However, May could barely get into the house, before Brendan stepped down the stairs, and spotted her. He started to fidget with his hat, and May was flushed over with a feeling of relief. It was good to see someone who was possibly just as excited to see her, too. The feeling only lasted a moment though, as she held her breath while Brendan dashed past her, calling out, "Race you to our spot on Route 103!"

May tried to give an apologetic look to Mrs. Birch, but she gave a warm-hearted smile in return. She had a feeling Brendan only acted like this when they were together. Which was fine by her. They _were_ close friends, after all.

Laughter filled her tired lungs when she caught Brendan by the riverside of Route 103, grabbing him from behind, continuing to laugh into his shoulder, her footing stumbling. She hadn't run like that in awhile, and the adrenaline high still had her going as she tried to regain her balance leaning into him. He laughed back, clearly just as if not more tired than she.

May eventually pulled back, wiping the sweat from her brow, smirking at Brendan. "I think I needed that."

"I had a feeling," Brendan replied with a wink. He lowered his backpack from his shoulders, and started to unzip it. Grabbing it from the bottom, he flipped it upside-down, and flat rocks poured out. May burst into laughter. "A little Swablu told me you were coming to town tonight, so I wanted to be prepared."

May didn't hesitate to squat down to grab a rock, and was also quick to fling it into the tide. It plopped. She didn't look back at Brendan right away, knowing he'd laugh.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was on my way."

"You've been busy, I get it."

May turned back to look at her friend. Yeah, she was busy. She was always busy. Yeah, Brendan got it, but she somehow couldn't help but feel that that didn't necessarily make it okay. She squatted for another rock. "I need you to show me your technique again."

"Clearly."

May did her best to watch Brendan's every move as his body turned naturally to cast a practically perfect skipping rock. She was about to imitate, and she was certain her rock _would_ have been better that time, had her Pokénav's buzzing not distracted her. She reached in her fanny pack to check the message.

_Sorry for earlier._

Oh no, he wasn't getting away with that right now. Here she was, enjoying time with Brendan, whom she hadn't seen since all this junk started in the first place, and she wasn't going to let Steven take this moment of enjoyment from her.

_K._

Steven might have been a few years older than her, but there was no way he didn't understand the implications of that response. May tried her best to push the thought of him texting her first to the back of her mind. She was enjoying Brendan's company right now. She went to skip another rock…and did she seriously let another Pokénav vibration distract her?

_I really mean it. Are you free to talk?_

May stared dumbfounded at her Pokénav, and Brendan also stopped skipping stones to approach her and make sure she was okay.

"Ugh, seriously?" she said out loud in disbelief, but tried to quickly compose herself, before turning her head to a surprised Brendan. "I-I'm sorry, Brendan, I probably need to take this," she said, hoping that explained her sudden outburst of a reaction. Brendan brought a hand to the back of his neck and gave an understanding Mareepish smile.

"Yeah?" May quipped.

"May?!"

She probably came off sassier than she intended, but she was finding herself unable to help it. This had better be good. "Yeah, Steven, it's me. Is everything okay?"

"Oh, everything is good, especially since you answered," he said, his words slower than usual. May's suspicions were quick to go up, but she held out on making any accusations before hearing him out. He said he'd call if something happened…that they'd "be in touch." "What are you up to?" he asked.

May was flattered at first, but it only took her a second to feel conflicted again. How was she? As in, how was she after spending a day torn up over realizing he needed space from her? "I went back to Littleroot for the night. I've been hanging out with Brendan. You remember him, right? We're skipping stones out on Route 103."

There was a long pause, May started to wonder if she lost the call, and she started to worry again that something really was up, but Steven's voice eventually came back. "Brendan…the one you took on a _date_ to the meteor shower?"

May felt her face heat up. What…was that tone of voice? What…was that _question_? "Uh, yeah, I guess you could call it that," she replied, trying her best to keep her tone of voice smooth.

"Do you know what kind of shower it was? Was it Quadrantid, Geminid, or Orionid?"

"I…have no idea…."

"Meteors fall to Earth during the day, but we can't see them, oh, but Prof Cosmo probably already told you that, since they're especially common in Fallarbor town…If it was a Perseid shower, 100 meteors are possible to come down in a single hour."

"Steven…"

"Have I given you a Dawn Stone yet? I have one from Kalos that I meant to show you…or give you? I can't remember. Heh. Isn't that funny? I can remember everything again, but I can't remember what I mean to give you amongst what I brought back from Kalos. You can have that Dawn Stone, anyway, though. You deserve it. You deserve every Dawn Stone I find from now on-"

"May?" Steven's voice was cut off by Wallace on the other end.

"Wallace?"

"Oh, thank goodness. May, you've got to forgive Steven. He's kind of in a funky place at the moment. I'll make him apologize properly when he's _sober_." May knew that voice from Wallace. He was trying his best to maintain face over the phone, but at the same time, accentuating to Steven what he'd done wrong. That somehow made her feel better, at least a little.

May managed to giggle a little bit before replying, "Thanks, Wallace."

"No problem. You get back to you for tonight. Sorry for letting him bother you!"

_Click…Beep Beep Beep_

_Letting him bother me, huh?_

It took staring at the flashing words _end call_ on her screen for a while to realize how warm her face had gotten. She forced herself to look up at Brendan, even though she felt terribly about how awkward that phone call had been, especially in front of him, and said, "Sorry about that."

Brendan didn't seem too bothered, or at least, he acted fairly well. He grabbed another stone to skip, but this one only managed two jumps. "It happens. We're all victims of drunk dialers from time to time, right?"

May grabbed one more stone, and gave it all her might. She smirked. 4 skips.

"Not bad."

It was getting pretty late. May helped Brendan pack the rest of his perfect skipping stones back into his bag, and they headed back to Littleroot for the evening.

"Thanks for dragging me out here tonight. I needed this." May said as they got back to their tiny hometown.

"Of course."

He walked her to her front door.

Brendan was one of her closest friends, right? Then why did she feel so nervous with him bringing her home like this?

"So how long are you back in town?"

"I dunno. I haven't gotten that far yet, to be honest."

Brendan shuffled his feet a little, and fidgeted with the strap of his bag.

"Do you think," he said, "we could go to Mauville tomorrow? We could do the touristy things we always talked about, but never really did because we were so busy with our Pokémon."

May smiled. "I think that'd be great," she said in reply.

Before she could say anything more about details, she felt and heard her door open behind her, and that was definitely her father's hand now on her shoulder.

"Good evening, Brendan," Norman, greeted from within the doorway, "I hate to ruin your plans, but we've already got a day of activities planned for Hoenn's sweetheart tomorrow, so you'll have to get a rain check."

May started to turn to look at her father in protest, but his grip only became more firm, and she, for once, decided it better not to question. She turned her head back to Brendan to apologize, but he had already started backing away. She turned to look at her father again, who had been waving him along. She slipped into the doorway to enter her house.

"You really are blind, aren't ya?" Norman said, laughing at the sight of his daughter's face growing crimson at his words.

"_What_ are you talking about?"

"You've probably been on a dozen dates with Steven if you couldn't tell that Brendan was asking you on a date _just now_," Norman explained plainly to her.

May drew in a breath, ready to argue, but she exhaled instead, and replayed the conversation in her head.

"Do you actually have plans for us for tomorrow?" she asked.

"Nope. But now that I said that, we should plan something for us as a family, should we?"

That was it. At least in that very instance, she had definitely been blind. And now she had a Brendan who didn't know how she felt. And she thought about how she hugged him earlier by the river and oh _no_.

_Bzz bzz._

May's heart fluttered. She got another text. It had to be either Brendan, or Steven. Either Steven got his phone back, or Brendan was trying to say goodnight properly.

_Bzz bzz._

So she had two new texts.

"I have a feeling I don't need to worry about you just yet," Norman said with a hearty laugh.

"Dad!"

"I'm headed to bed, kiddo. You should get some rest, too. I have a feeling you might need it. Maybe we'll have a big day planned for you for tomorrow after all!"

May forced a "hmph" in reply, but hugged her father goodnight anyway, and watched him head upstairs to bed. She held her Pokénav in her hand, trying her best to ready herself for the messages that waited her.

_Sorry I kind of disappeared. Your dad can be kinda scary! He's right about a rain check, though. We should go to Mauville soon, just us. Maybe we can have a picnic out in the apartments' rooftop park. I hear there's live music sometimes at night!_

May stared at her Pokénav, but then flumsily attempted to go back when she remembered she still had another text.

_Sorry again. Drinking poker with the guys. Can't remember the last time we did this. That's not supposed to be a joke, more of an expression; I guess that works both ways for now, considering my sorry life as of late._

For being drunk, Steven sure had impeccable grammar.

How did she respond to _either_ of those?

_Bzz bzz._

_Wallace informed me that the way I spoke to you over the phone was improper and he says I need to make sure I'm nicer to you in the morning so be sure to tell me to be nice tomorrow, please._

May kept trying to compose messages, but his texts somehow kept rolling in. Wasn't being drunk supposed to hinder your comprehension? How was he sending such lengthy texts while still having proper grammar and spelling? Either way, she couldn't help but giggle a little bit.

_Bzz bzz._

_Brendan's your age, right? And you're neighbors, right? And you're his father's mentee, too, right? You took him with you to that meteor shower viewing at the space station, right? You two sure seem close. That must be nice. I hope he's nice to you. I'm sure he's nice to you. He better be nice to you._

There it was, those mixed signals again. Was this him being jealous of Brendan, or him merely looking out for her as someone he cared about? She kept working on the message she wanted to send to him. He must have been waiting for a response to that message about Brendan after all, because he finally stopped sending texts.

Yeah, it was kind of a Torchic move to send this type of a message over text instead of asking in person or over the phone, but May had a hard enough time finding the courage to send this text alone. She knew it probably wasn't fair to send this type of a message to him while he was so under the influence, but if she didn't send it now, she probably would never get it out there.

_You've got a day to think about it. I need to know how you feel about me. If you want, meet me at the Sky Pillar tomorrow night at 10:00PM, sharp. And don't tell me if you're coming. Show up, or don't. I'll be there either way._

May held her breath, and hit send. She was just following her dad's advice, right?

* * *

Wallace noticed Steven suddenly stare doe-eyed at his Pokénav, and realized he must have received a message that made him go silent. That, or he drunkenly stumbled upon the endless Skitty videos on Buzznav again. He helped himself to intercepting Steven's Pokénav from him, and had no hesitation in reading the text aloud to the other members of the room.

"Oh man, she's got you on location ultimatum? That's like some shit out of a teen romance novel, bro," Brawly said after Wallace finished reading.

"He's right, dude," Sidney added, "but hey, I had no idea you were having any kinds of lovers' quarrels with May. Good for you, man."

Steven's head was spinning. Location ultimatum? Lovers' quarrel? Was this really either of those things? What time was it? He needed to start drinking water.

Wallace was clearly getting ready to make more jabs, but he saw how unresponsive Steven had been to the first few comments, and slowly handed him his Pokénav back instead.

"You know not to text her back now, right?" Wallace asked before completely letting go of the piece of Devon tech.

"Even if I was supposed to text her back, I'd have no idea what to say," Steven admitted. He kept staring at the text. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"I'll help you figure that one out in the morning. For now, let's get you some more water. You need to be in tip top shape for confronting your dad."

Oh shit, talking to dad was tomorrow, too.


	11. Pain Split

A/N: As many of you know by reading this story thus far, I greatly enjoy combining manga canon with my writing. This chapter alludes to some canon theory from the XY manga, but of course I won't say specifically what in effort to not preemptively ruin the chapter. That being said, I'm fairly certain we've got 3-4 chapters left, 3 of which are already half-written. The reason I'm sharing this though, is because during this next month, I'm going on a conference, taking my graduate comprehensive exams, and I'm also kinda getting _married_, so I've been preemptively getting as much of this story completed as possible.

Additionally, if you're also a writer or an artist, I'm hosting a DaiHaru contest along with tumblr user pokemonsavvy over at my soaringillusions blog, so be sure to check that out if you're interested in winning some prizes!

As always, thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

* * *

The sun was way too bright.

Steven slowly turned his head to the side, wincing through his eyelids. Okay, he was in the guest room at Wallace's, that much he recognized, despite his ability to concentrate on visual at the moment, his focus heavily impaired by the immense pain behind his forehead. He threw his arm at the nightstand and fumbled for his Pokénav, pulling it off the charger. This much was routine. Prioritized ever so slightly above drinking water and taking ibuprofen, was checking conversations and sent calls from the night before.

The texts and call with May he remembered. Right, she had asked him, or rather, gave him the option, to meet her at the Sky Pillar that night. His head throbbed from dehydration and trying to comprehend what that was supposed to mean as he read the message over and over. Yeah, "you've got a day to think about it," aka, he had a whole day of his stomach twisting and turning and pulling him toward and away from his _option_ that was the Sky Pillar.

Steven was fairly confident at this point that he remembered the whole night. He'd mildly made a fool of himself with May, but it didn't seem like any _damage_ was done, so to speak. So, when he checked his call history, he couldn't help but feel overtaken with dread and nausea at the completely unexpected name on the list.

_Cynthia – 1:27AM, 3 min 48 seconds_

Time to push through that splitting headache, which wasn't hard to do once he registered pain shoot through his foot as he jammed his toes trying to throw himself out of bed to rush into the main rooms of Wallace's home.

Maybe he was jumping to conclusions. However, he also decided in his own defense, that conclusions sometimes needed to be made when considering what the hell you did when you were drunk with the guys. He had to weigh this. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe he only spoke in nonsense and whatever was said was interpreted as drunken comradely and shenanigans.

Oh _wait_.

That was the number for Cynthia's _Pokénav_. Aka, her form of communication for when she was in _Hoenn_. Unless Cynthia was in Hoenn, there was no way he had actually talked to her the previous night, because that would have required coordinating a public call using the PCs in Pokémon Centers. Steven haphazardly checked the call information again. 3 minutes, and 48 seconds. Did he leave a voicemail that was that long? He had to have left a long voicemail. Otherwise, someone must have answered, and that would have been unlikely, since Cynthia wasn't in Hoenn.

Steven forcibly pulled himself out of bed, uncharacteristically leaving the bed unmade, and hastened to the main room of Wallace's house, desperate for finding help to answer his questions. He'd make the bed later. He'd catch up on drinking water and taking ibuprofen later. Wallace had to have an idea as to what shenanigans he drunkenly took part in last night, right?

When Steven got into the kitchen, he saw Wallace casually fixing something at the counter, and his face lit up at the sight of his friend, however disheveled he may have been.

"Oh good, you're finally awake. We can rehearse over breakfast."

Steven, in all of his hungover glory, had raised a finger along with an inhale in an attempt to verbalize his current predicament, but what Wallace had said completely caught him off guard.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't you want to practice what you're going to say to May tonight?"

Steven had to pause. Practicing what he wanted to say seemed so…dorky. But at the same time, now that the idea was on the table, it started to make some sense. Except, "I have no idea what I want to say to her. I don't even know if I'm _going_ to Sky Pillar tonight."

"Oh goodness gracious, why not? You've got to meet back up with her at some point. Don't you need to bring her your share of the plates, after all?" Wallace reminded him.

And being reminded of that too, put knots in Steven's stomach. Here they were, putting their hands in the business of legendary affairs yet again. Yes, they wanted to figure out what was going on with the islands and hoops, and gathering these plates might have been a step towards that, but Steven still couldn't help but feel wary. All the plates had been essentially easily accessed for them, proximity-wise. They had expected to have to travel all across the nation, when really, they hardly had to leave Hoenn's waters.

Steven let himself slink into a chair and put an elbow to the table and let his head hit his hand, fingers immediately brushing through his bed-tousled locks. "And now I need to make sure I tell you before I forget. I need to check the Pokémart here. Morty tipped us off on an artifact emitting a strange energy coming from there, and at least, it's better off in our hands than a shopkeeper's."

"I'll take care of that later. Today you need to focus on your daddy-issues, and May."

_Shoot_, he needed to go to Rustboro today, that was still true, and there was something else that he needed to deal with, already forgotten, thanks to his splitting headache. "Wallace, I need water, and ibuprofen, please…" he said, realizing that's what needed to be taken care of first and foremost before trying to tackle anything else that day.

That is, had the abrupt, thorough, _pounding_ at the front door not further shattered his temples, and before Steven could ask who in the _hell_ it could possibly be, Wallace washed his hands of whatever he was doing at the moment and said, "Oh, that must be Cynthia," as he made his way to answer the door.

_Cynthia_?

Steven had zero seconds to prepare himself before the Sinnoh champion herself appeared from behind the front door, and everything in Steven's head came to a standstill. Yet here she was, in one of her signature black dresses, looking just as he remembered her, the Cynthia he remembered. He couldn't hear Wallace likely graciously inviting her in, nor could he hear the sound of the door closing or their footsteps across Wallace's tiled floor. Though most of this hazed and hungover confusion was rooted in the fact that Cynthia's involvement in his night prior was still in question and had less to do with Cynthia herself, but nevertheless, Steven was unsure of how to proceed or what to say next.

"Well, I've seen you in suits and caving attire, but this is a new look for you," Cynthia cooed at Steven, commenting on him still being in a tank top and boxers.

Steven took no more time waiting in helping himself into the kitchenette and getting a glass for water and searching the cabinets for the pain killers he needed to function.

"Cynthia, you're just in time for breakfast," Wallace said, following poor Steven to the counter. Oh, so of course, at least _that_ made sense now. Steven knew better that Wallace didn't make breakfast when it was just him. So that at least further answered him knowing Cynthia was coming, but still didn't answer the _why_. Had Wallace taken his Pokénav last night to call her?

Cynthia's attention was then grabbed by the pile of plates on Wallace's table, though, and any hilarity in her voice and face was gone as her expression shifted to immense speculation in Steven and Wallace's direction. Her disposition changed in an instant at recognizing the pile of artifacts originally from her home region.

"I hope there's a _damn_ good reason for this…" Cynthia growled through gritted teeth, and Steven was already ready on the defensive before she finished her thought, "is _this_ why you asked me out here? As I'm assuming you know where the rest of the plates are?"

"I'm sure you've gathered some awareness of the island situation we've got on our hands, and the plates are merely a precaution in case whatever's been causing this is something immensely out of our control," Steven explained, his wits now coming back after finishing a glass of water, but the metaphorical tail was between his legs. He knew Cynthia had a better understanding of the lore dealing with the plates than he had, hell, she was the one who originally taught him about it, so he was bracing himself to be lectured, despite readying himself to explain things thoroughly, "I'm not depending on Devon's infinite energy anymore. It can't be trusted. Not after what we learned when May captured Rayquaza and dealt with the meteorite and Deoxys."

But Cynthia didn't look convinced, "And what, you're going to depend on May again to handle things? Does _she_ have the rest of the plates?" she practically barked.

Steven's stomach knotted. It was like being back in Sinnoh all over again, at least in his mind, and now May was in the mix. He and Cynthia never agreed on the meaning behind lore, and given that who was right was often 50/50, it couldn't be helped. "Of course I don't want her taking full responsibility with this situation," Steven argued back. "Did I want her assistance with pulling the plates together? Of course. She's champion, after all, and should be involved in affairs dealing with the sanctity of Hoenn."

"_Children_, please," Wallace interjected, spinning around from the kitchen counter revealing two decked out plates of pancakes in his hands, "no arguing before breakfast, please. It's bad for your skin. Let's sit, and address this like the adults we are." Cynthia and Steven simultaneously huffed, but it was no matter. They sat across from each other at the table, Wallace setting plates before them, and spun back around to fix his own. Arceus bless him for always hosting, but Steven knew he enjoyed it. "Now, Cynthia, I did call you out here because I wanted your input on how to proceed with these plates. And if you think it's too dangerous, then I want you to tell us that, too. But I imagine that this is a conversation we can have in a civil manner, no?" Wallace then sat, too, relaxed as ever, and helped himself to his plate of pancakes, "But regardless of the dangers, we need to come to some kind of plan of action for the region of Hoenn, soon. My Pokémon seem to think we're running out of time."

Neither Steven nor Cynthia had a comment for that right away. If someone spoke about how their Pokémon felt about something, especially someone so in tune to their Pokémon like Wallace, it was hardly questioned. Cynthia took the initiative of beginning to eat first, but Steven felt like he couldn't think about food yet. There was too much. _This_ was too much. So Wallace had invited Cynthia over to discuss the plates?

"Fine," Cynthia said between bites, "Steven, Wallace told me that you've got a big day ahead of you. From what I understand, there's a lot of drama with Devon right now."

"Whatever it is with _Devon_, I think he can handle," Wallace said, "but he's got a _date_ with May this evening, and that's where my concerns are."

"Oh, is that so?" Cynthia drawled before taking another bite, letting herself make eyes at Steven.

"It's _not_ a date," Steven retorted, and submitted to beginning to eat. His headache-ridden mind did not need further assumptions thrown his way.

"Oh, _Rapidash_ shit," Wallace combatted, "Do I need to remind you of the purpose you're meeting her in a _secluded_ location under the _stars_ at _night_?"

Steven ignored the eyebrows held raised by Cynthia. "I still don't know that I'd call it a date, though," Steven muttered under his breath, but Wallace and Cynthia could still hear him, "Somehow that doesn't feel right."

"Oh, just like how every time we went excavating together _alone_ and went to do research _alone_ weren't _dates_," Cynthia also added, hoping her comment would make a point, "You better not be leading this poor girl on."

Steven hadn't finished his pancakes, but he removed himself from his seat, and started to walk from the table back down the hallway. "I need to freshen up and prepare myself for today," he said, disappearing to Wallace's guest room for him.

Wallace brought an elbow to the table and let his chin rest on the back of his hand, sighing, then saying to Cynthia, "What are we going to do with him?"

Cynthia straightened in her chair. "I think the question I should ask you right now is what are we going to do with those plates," she said, not quite as coldly as she had earlier, but certainly without any hint of jest. "You're close friends, are you not? Why haven't you tried stopping them?"

Wallace's eyes went to the side and he pressed his lips tight before answering. "I'm not a huge fan either, but I worry we're out of options for what might be coming."

"Are they uniting all the plates tonight, on their _not_-date?"

"While I don't believe that's the purposed intention, I do believe that will be an unseen side-effect."

"And you're okay with this? I realize you're not champion anymore, but I have a feeling you're withdrawing on your wisdom in this situation. Why?"

It was true. Everything about what was going on in Hoenn had been rubbing Wallace the wrong way, and while he knew information-seeking and discovery were important, the fact that so many legendary Pokémon had been involved in the process was more than worrisome for the well-known Sootopolitan. "I've subtly attempted to voice my concern over the matter, but the reality right now is…" Wallace said, beside himself, "whatever May sees as being the right path, is usually so. She's communicated with legendary Pokémon, before and during this island fiasco, unlike any other human I've ever seen, of which has been my upbringing. If anyone can resolve this, it's May. And she's been determined to and drawn to finding these plates."

Steven emerged back into the main room of Wallace's home, now donning one of his finest suits, and had his pack on his back. He had gone from 2 to 10 in a matter of minutes, and brought his pack to the table to collect the plates for travel.

"What, off so soon? But I just got here!" Cynthia said, assuming he was prepping to take his leave for the day, "Did you devise a plan while you were changing or what?"

"I did, and I need to leave now before I _torchic_ out of doing what needs to be done for the day," Steven said. He lied. He had no plan. Or at least, his plan did not extend further than addressing his father, and addressing May at night. How these interactions would unfurl, however, was not something he had thought through or practiced. Better to bite the bullet punch and get it over with, at least, was what was going through his mind at the time.

"But before I go," Steven further added, now zipping his pack back up and throwing it over his shoulders once more, "I need to stop at the PokéMart and get the item Morty spoke of."

"Oh, right, _that_," Wallace affirmed, quickly glancing at Cynthia before stating, "Don't worry about that. It's like you said, you need to leave now if you're going to get through today. Let me go get this item in question and deal with it. You have enough going on as it is."

"You're sure?" Steven asked, "It's not like it's going to alter my plans that much."

"Yes, but we still have no idea what it is. One project at a time. Go on, go," Wallace urged, and finally got Steven out the door.

* * *

"Rise and shine, May!" Norman's voice boomed into her ears, and her bedroom became much brighter than she liked.

"Ugh, Dad, come on, I came home to relax, not to go to work…" she sleepily muttered, pulling the covers back over her head instinctually. Growing up, she usually got to sleep in on the weekends, but there was the occasional Saturday that she got pulled into whatever Gym business or training that he had planned for the day.

"And you're not going to work," Norman said, and May felt dismay as she heard his footsteps approaching, "but we can't have our day of play if you're going to sleep it away!" May cringed. Purposefully or not, that rhyming was dreadful.

She brought her covers down so her face was no longer hidden and chose to face the light of her room. Doing it herself before her father forcefully pulled the blankets from her was going to be better either way. "What's this _day of play_ you're talking about?" she asked with apprehension.

"Well, I said we'd go to Mauville, didn't I?" Norman boomed. "So come on, get dressed, your mom's nearly got breakfast ready for you, and then we'll be on our way!"

So, they were going to be tourists that day, then.

* * *

Steven didn't bother securing an appointment. Yeah, he knew his father was a busy man. He also hadn't seen his father since before he had left for Kalos, after all the drama with Rayquaza and the meteorite. Regardless of whether he had anything scheduled for when he got there though, he knew his father would make time for his only son dropping by.

After landing in Rustboro, Steven let himself be nostalgic before heading to Devon's headquarters. Even though he knew it might mean trouble for him, and he knew it was probably him further pushing meeting with his father, he decided to visit the trainer school.

Surprisingly, it didn't take long for Steven to come across one of his old mentors while perusing the old hallways he still remembered all too well. After formalities about how long it had been, conversations rose about Steven returning to study and teach, and how Steven made a huge impact when he was student teaching, taking classes to Verdanturf tunnel and Meteor Falls, as those were not difficult trips to make, but still impactful all the same. "I'm sure Roxanne is doing a swell job in the geology related courses," Steven found himself quickly saying, hoping that that would smooth over their conversation into a new topic or potentially a separation of ways.

"Well of course she is, but would it really be so terrible if we were wanting to expand the department? You know we've always appreciated the financial support from Devon, and things have been especially fruitful lately, to my understanding. If you were wanting to study and teach again, I imagine getting the funding wouldn't be horrendously difficult for you."

Steven forced a smile. Of course he would love to come back and teach while also getting funded for research. He thought back to what Blaine had said about his academic progress. There were still pros and cons he needed to weigh when considering whether to work for the trainer school again. They could certainly give support to him traveling and doing fieldwork. But working off the radar had its obvious benefits, too. A lot of it depended on the future of Devon, and where from specifically that funding was coming.

"Weick's loosely coupled systems?" Steven quipped, referencing the theorist that he was about to allude into, "I haven't seen my father in a few months, both for reasons personal and business. I'll admit it hasn't been the noblest of me to have avoided these matters for this long, but I intend to clear them up today. As for your offer, let me make one thing clear. There's hardly anything I'd like more than to help facilitate environments for learning about Pokémon and Geology." Saying that out loud felt affirming. Teaching didn't have to mean being stuffed in a classroom, a paradigm so stifling. Teaching for Steven was taking students into the field with him and being hands on and practical. "I'm glad we ran into each other. I'll keep this in mind as I go to visit my father, and perhaps I'll have an answer for you sooner rather than later."

* * *

It wasn't long before the Maple family found themselves in the Mauville food court for lunch. It was only natural, being the father-daughter duo of not only feisty trainers, but also feisty appetites, and for the two of them, these attributes nearly went hand-in-hand, and for such attributes, the Mauville food court was the perfect haven. May went to mega-evolve her Swampert, but as she raised her bracelet to tap the key stone and initiate the process with her Pokémon, Norman was there in an instant, his hand over hers, and said, "You're still relying on that, even after everything with Rayquaza and the space center?!"

May's face immediately signaled her confusion, and she quickly elaborated, "But…mega-evolution is dependent on the bonds between a trainer and their Pokémon…"

Norman didn't remove his hand. The opposing Pokémon and their trainers looked at them expectantly. Norman said, "May, I need you to refrain from mega-evolving for now, okay? Besides, I'm sure your Swampert is more than capable of handling this battle without it."

May gave him a questioning glance, so Norman continued in affirmation, "I need you to trust me on this." Her Swampert looked back at her. May looked between her Pokémon and her bracelet, then said, "I guess not this time, buddy."

Her dad was right, though, at least about not needing to mega-evolve to succeed in battle. Her Swampert still more than pulled its own in battle, even more so than her father's Vigoroth, to which she still couldn't help but give the occasional smirk to her dad.

They got through several challenges, and held fast their seats in the food court. Lunch went on without a hitch. Later that evening, Norman and May separated themselves for a walk on the shore of Route 118 while mom did some shopping still in Mauville.

Once he was sure there weren't spectators in the area though, Norman cut to asking about what had been worrying him all day, "When was the last time you took off your mega bracelet?"

May held her wrist out in front of herself to look at the accessory tech in question, and furrowed her brow. "I don't think…" she started, trying her best to remember, "I've ever taken it off. I just haven't had a reason to."

Norman uncrossed his arms, and held a hand out toward May, his expression unchanging, and said, "Give me your mega bracelet."

May essentially flinched at his words, to which Norman replied, "It'll only be for a moment."

Using her other hand to slide her mega bracelet off of her wrist, May cautiously placed it in her father's hand. Maybe it was paranoia of the situation that her father had built up, but the moment she retracted her hand, she was fighting a gagging sensation, and her hand instinctively shot up to cover her mouth in a fist to stop herself from getting sick.

"May?" Norman quickly said, going into protective father mode, but didn't make any motions toward her and keeping a distance. In fact, he slowly began taking steps backward, away from his daughter. "Are you feeling okay?"

May's eyes darted from her father's face to her mega bracelet in his hand. She was about to answer him, that is, until she was distracted by the sudden dizzy spell overtaking her. She felt her knees weaken. Were they about to give out? Her stomach sloshed. She tried to maintain eye contact with her dad. When did he get so far away from her? She snapped in an instant to feeling like a child, weakly raising her arms forward and tried to voice with all her might and not collapse or throw up while doing so: "-Dad?!"

Before she could fall, she was in her father's embrace, and just like that, her sudden nausea was nearly relieved. She threw her arms around her dad's back, still trying to process what happened to her, and taking in the support he gave her. Norman didn't let go of her, but he leaned back to look at May. Her eyes were watering, and he felt incredibly guilty at what he just put his only child through, but it needed to be tested. He hastily returned her mega-bracelet to her wrist, then asked, "How are you feeling now?"

May didn't know how to feel. Yeah, _physically_ she felt fine compared to how she felt just a second ago, but… "What the hell just happened to me?" she barely voiced.

Norman crossed his arms again, but didn't take his eyes off of May. "There were tabloids earlier this year of a boy your age in Kalos who had experiences of violent nausea when he was separated from his keystone. It was mostly speculation and rumor-mill, and I'd hoped it had been just that, so I wanted to make sure it wasn't something I'd have to worry about with you. This is why I asked you not to mega-evolve your Swampert earlier. I worry that the more you use mega-evolution, the more the side-effects impact you."

"Great, cause I needed one more thing right now," May said with exasperation, but her thoughts moved faster than her words. "Hang on…" she decided it was appropriate to iterate her thought process out loud to her father to get his opinion. "Steven gave me this bracelet with the key stone. Ever since he came back from Kalos, he's had several moments lately of seeming like he's needed to talk to me about something important, but never getting to it. Then yesterday, he was getting stressed over settling _something_ with his father, to the point of not wanting to talk to me at all."

Norman's lips pursed, and he perfectly picked up what May was putting down. "You need to talk to him, and get this sorted out," he said, crossing his arms again. "I'd like to have faith that Steven's a good enough guy, and from the sound of it, it seems like he's trying to get answers for himself, as well. At least, I'd like to hope, and I'd like for him to _not_ give me more reason to potentially hate him, other than leading you on."

May chuckled. Even with the potentially dire situation on their hands, her father still managed to lighten the mood: a skill she tried her best to emulate in her own life. "I was already planning on meeting up with him tonight, and he'll have already talked with his father by then, so…" she trailed off, but she didn't need to continue. She started to regret the reason she had asked to meet him, and her face got hot. It was selfish of her to ask for such a thing of him when they clearly had so many other _real_ issues to tackle still, and she suddenly felt very juvenile.

It was almost as if Norman read her mind, too, when he said, "Are you going to dress up a little bit to see if he'll kiss you?"

That broke her out of her trance, and if her face wasn't red before, it definitely was after that. "Dad!"

Norman chuckled. "Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help myself."

Wait, but _did_ she dress up a little bit? Maybe not necessarily for the reason her father suggested (but of course, if that worked, then hey), but as a confidence and morale thing. She was going to need guts for tonight.

* * *

"I need to see the files on May."

"It's good to see you, too, Steven!" Joseph Stone's voice boomed throughout his office, but he didn't move from his desk despite his son's demands, "I hear you've had quite the past few weeks. You should call more, not that I'm not happy to see you here now."

"You _knew_ I was in Kalos, _father_," Steven replied through gritted teeth. He took no waiting in being impatient.

"Yes, I did know, and did you find what you were looking for?"

"Hardly," Steven essentially snapped, and didn't let up on his attitude, either, "I still don't understand why you can't just give me her address. It's been fifteen years. I'm twenty-five years old. I should be able to see her."

"I'm sorry, Steven, but I'm afraid I'm confused about why you came to see me today," his father taunted, straightening a stack of papers on his desk to busy his hands, but maintained eye contact all the while, "Are you here to talk about May, or your _mother_?"

Steven took a deep breath. He knew his father was trying to keep the upper hand on him emotionally, and he needed to stay calm if he was going to get what he wanted out of this visit.

"I'm here to see the files on May."

"Whatever for? Everything has gone without a hitch for her so far, has it not? If she hasn't had any complaints about her process with mega-evolution, then I don't see an issue. It seems the odds have been in her favor, as predicted."

"I don't care!" Steven reluctantly burst, but he couldn't help it. Something about this wasn't right. "We should know better than this by now. May always beats out the odds, whether they're in her favor or not. With everything she's done and gone through, and the good that she continues to do, we can't play with the odds of her life like this any longer. I know her key stone is different. I know her process is _different_ from everyone else's somehow. I know you've been collecting energy from her, _somehow_."

"Are you prepared to stop mega-evolving your Metagross?" Joseph Stone laced his fingers together and set them at the desk, a very political move as he continued to speak, "Are you prepared to have a press conference of why we need to halt exploitation of mega-evolution? We're almost there, Steven. Just give us some more time. Our company's findings will soon show fruition. And besides, I know you want to come back to teach. You know where the funding for the school here comes from. In that respect, the school needs May."

Alright, so maybe he wasn't as prepared for this interaction as he thought he was. Maybe Wallace was right. Maybe he should have practiced what it was that he was going to say. But now he was only seeing red, and couldn't think straight, and he knew that if he stayed that he wasn't going to accomplish anything. No, he had no definitive proof at the moment to halt their progress. He knew Devon needed failure on record in order to stop production or research, and even then, they still just looked for the best way to alter their efforts before completely shutting down a project. "Sorry for intruding on your day," he muttered, spinning on his heel and turning to make his leave from his father's office.

"You're never intruding, Steven," his father said, his voice genuinely having no malice, and the words met Steven's ears in their intended fashion. But he didn't care. Regardless of Devon's intent, it did not mitigate impact. After everything with Rayquaza, with _Zinnia_, he'd seen how blinded he'd been to progress for the sake of progress by Devon. He didn't trust infinite energy anymore, and while he wasn't certain why, he knew May was somehow underhandedly involved. _Somehow_.

* * *

May left for Sky Pillar around 9pm on Latias. She wanted to get there early to ensure that she arrived well before Steven, and thought that maybe by doing so, it'd be a chance to clear her head.

That was of course, if Steven _did _come.

Wait, no, he had to show.

Right?

* * *

Steven had gone to Southern Island to be alone and attempted to clear his mind. It was what usually worked for him when he was fed up with research or when his body tired of field work in whatever cavern. However, for some reason, although "for some reason" was nearly a lie for Steven at this point because he nearly _fully_ knew the reason, he was having the hardest time clearing his mind. He didn't even know if it was a good idea to meet her at Sky Pillar at _all_. Hours had gone by, of Steven venturing from forested area to small creak, from flower patch to sitting on the rocks nearest the waterfall, and he still hadn't come up with an answer for how to finish his evening. Day had become dusk, and dusk quickly filled with a starry sky. Steven checked his wristwatch. It was 10 PM. Where had the time gone? He panicked. His stomach became a circus of galloping Tauros and Bouffalant. He reached for his Eon Flute, but he didn't have to play it. Latios was there in an instant, crying in urgency for Steven to get on his back. The Pokémon knew. Of course it did. May probably flew with Latias to Sky Pillar. The Eon Pokémon were so in tune with each other and with them, that they probably knew what was going on. Steven's heart hammered, but despite himself, climbed on the back of the eon Pokémon he had developed a bond with, and took to the sky.

"Alright Latios, let's go meet up with your sister and May."

To which Latios almost complied. Sky Pillar was _immensely_ tall, and Latios refused to scale it. As much as Steven tried to get Latios to climb the side of the tower, knowing that the Pokémon was more than capable of reaching such heights, he refused, and Steven saw them nearing the ground toward the entrance of the tower. And who he saw waiting for him as Latios dropped him off only made his stomach twist further.

"Welcome, Steven."

"Wallace…? What are you doing here?"

"You wish to climb Sky Pillar, do you not? Have you forgotten? Anyone wishing to ascend Sky Pillar has to engage in a battle with whomever presently holds title as one of the ancient Sootopolitans, who is presently, in fact, _me_."

Steven gave a sigh of exasperation, "Really? We have to do this now?" He jerked his arm to glance at his wristwatch. It was already 10:20 PM.

"I will admit, I'd almost given up on you," Wallace said, readying a Pokéball. He really was serious about this. "I would have expected you here earlier. I've been here since 9:30. Arceus knows how long _May's_ been here waiting."

"Exactly," Steven tried, "which is why I'm hoping you'll reconsider forcing me to battle in order to proceed."

Wallace pursed his lips, followed by his eyes flashing with excitement as he smirked at Steven, and dramatically threw his Pokéball with a full sweep of his arm, revealing his signature Milotic.

"No way," Wallace said, his smirk still on his lips, if anything even more leering now, "I'm going to make you sweat, and you're going to prove to me that your desire to ascend Sky Pillar is true. We'll use three Pokémon each. Are you ready?"

He had to battle? Fine. Steven peered at Wallace through squinted lids as he reached into his jacket for a Pokéball, releasing Aerodactyl. The fossil Pokémon spun up in the sky, clearly glad to be out of its Pokéball in who knew how long. It was a risky move on Steven's end, what with its weakness to water, but Aerodactyl was a fast physical sweeper, and if his Pokémon was fast enough, he believed he could wrap the battle up quickly. Time was of the essence. "What's it been, four, _five_ years now?"

"_Five_ and few months, actually," Wallace grimaced, "Are you _sure_ you remember everything again?"

"I remember defeating you, but of course it wasn't without a challenge," Steven said, "which is why if we're battling, I've had enough talk. I don't have time for this. Aerodactyl, thunder fang!"


	12. Healing Wish

A/N - Sorry this chapter is coming in behind schedule! My comprehensive exams took a bigger toll on me than I expected (as did getting married haha lololol) but I promise I'm back now! My goal is for this story to be finished by new years. Thanks again to everyone who's kept up this far, I really do mean it when I say it means a lot! All the reviews, faves, follows, and even just view counts are what keep me going and motivated that this is something that's worth continuing, and I hope this chapter continues that trend!

* * *

As May sat on the edge atop Sky Pillar, her mega bracelet rested in her hands. She couldn't take her eyes off of the key stone. The mystery shrouding it now was killing her, possibly literally, but also as were her feelings attached to the elements related to her use of mega evolution. Mega evolution was supposed to be this beautiful, positive thing, or, that was what she had come to understand.

Man, she'd been waiting awhile now. Putting her mega bracelet in one hand, she used the other to take out her Pokénav to check the time. 10:20 PM. It wasn't like Steven to be late. That is. If he _was_ coming. May quickly thumbed through her messages from last night. Yup, the last interaction was her text about meeting at Sky Pillar tonight. She let her head drop back and she sighed as she took in the night sky.

* * *

Milotic tried to dodge, but Aerodactyl was still fast enough to land a successful and critical thunder fang on the aquatic serpentine Pokémon, and it couldn't withstand the hit. Steven checked Wallace's face to check for any sort of reaction, and called out to him, "Ready to rethink this battle?"

"I'm only rethinking who I'm going to send out next," Wallace replied with a grimace, "so don't think you're getting off so easily.

Next to appear was Wallace's bulky Ludicolo. Wallace smirked. Aerodactyl gave a shrill cry that pierced the night air. Ludicolo just kept on dancing.

* * *

May slid the bracelet off of her wrist, and set it on the ground.

Gag reflex, but nothing she couldn't fight back.

She tried standing up. Light-headedness, but again, nothing she couldn't handle. So it was clearly a proximity thing.

* * *

Ludicolo had taken Aerodactyl out with ease with a hydro pump, and clearly still had much fight left in it with the way it hadn't stopped its carefree dance.

Steven chose to be bold and sent out his Metagross. Wallace chuckled and raised his eyebrows in response to this choice.

Wallace voiced his observation with, "Well, well, _well_…you must be getting desperate if you're already using Metagross."

"I've lost too much time," Steven said, his voice giving away his distress, "I have to set things right with May." Realizing Wallace had distracted him again, Steven threw an arm to the side as he gave Metagross its first command, "Giga impact!"

"Protect!" Wallace countered, and Ludicolo was able to prevent any damage from the dangerous crash. Exhausted from the attempted attack, Metagross was left motionless and vulnerable for the time being. Wallace took no hesitation in exploiting the opening. "Now, ice beam!"

_No_.

Couldn't anything go his way that day?

Ice beam had completely frozen Mettagross. This was terrible, and all Steven's currently one-track mind could think of at the time was calling upon his Skarmory and attempting to scale Sky Pillar again in desperation, despite knowing his Pokémon wouldn't let him. He had to think, fast. Ludicolo was fairly bulky, and with a solid special attack stat, something most of Steven's team could not withstand. And if his assumptions were correct, Wallace's last Pokémon was likely Gyarados, being his only Pokémon capable of mega evolution. He needed to send out his Pokémon with the best defenses, and tough things out the best he could while dwindling down Ludicolo and Gyarados' health the best they could. It was the only realistic option at this point.

"Go, Carbink!"

* * *

May took a step back. Her hands bawled to fists as her throat became acidic, but somehow that wasn't enough for her. Somehow, she felt like she needed to push herself to really, truly know.

She tightened her fists further. Her knuckles became white. She bolted toward the other side of the top of the tower. She maybe made four, five long strides, before her stomach lurched with such intensity that she tumbled to her knees, and she inhaled in shock as skin scraped rock. Her arms latched around her stomach, as if that'd help, and she turned to look back at her bracelet through tear-laced eyes.

She heaved, but she got back up, and made sure her bracelet was in her line of sight.

Her knees buckled again as she dizzily attempted to rush back to her bracelet.

* * *

Steven fell to his knees, Carbink's Pokéball sitting in his cupped hands. "You fought well, Carbink. You deserve to rest."

"I'm sorry, Steven, but I can't remove the seal for you," Wallace said solemnly. He took out another Pokéball and brought out his massive Wailord, getting ready to ride on its back from the island.

Steven looked blankly from Wallace's face, to the scale that was Sky Pillar. "What…am I supposed to do now?"

"Well, you've got a Pokénav," Wallace said, trying his best to not smirk. "Call her. Let her know you're not worthy. I'm sure she'll understand." He was about to mount his Wailord, but hesitated, and turned around to face Steven again. Wallace approached him, and fished through his pack to retrieve something.

"Also, before I forget," Wallace said, presenting a strange pink, purple, and gold colored artifact, "this is something called a _prison bottle_. This is the item Morty warned us about, and I picked it up from the clerk in Sootopolis' Pokémart. The young boy working there was more than compliant in allowing me to take it. Apparently some suspicious older male attempted to pass it off as being highly valuable in order to rob the store. However, the burglar obtained everything he wanted, he supposedly repeated _"For a mere three days will Hoopa be unbound,"_ over and over, until he left the store."

Steven reached a hand to the prison bottle, further examining it. It didn't look like a bottle at all. The top half was pink, almost coming to a trident-like top, with gold rings at the base of the prongs, and the bottom was a purple circle, covered in six gold rings, evenly spaced apart. "So…just what do we make of this? What do we do with it?" Steven asked

"Cynthia seemed to have an inkling when she saw it," Wallace said, his voice becoming flat, and once the prison bottle was out of his hands, he looked away from Steven, back towards his Wailord. "There's supposedly a mythical Pokémon that this bottle is replicated after. It's meant to contain this Pokémon's power. The main part of Cynthia's inkling, however, and though she was hesitant in telling me this part at all, it being just myth, but that if things are seeming dire, to use this bottle."

"I hate that description so much," Steven grumbled, "it practically sounds like a prophecy. And you know how our luck is with those."

"We probably need this relic," Wallace said essentially as an answer to Steven's statement. "But for now, life goes on. You need to call May."

* * *

The lump in May's throat only worsened, but now it was even more acidic and she could barely see straight. She needed to get her bracelet back on. She tried to pick her head up to stop the feeling of building pressure in her chest, but it didn't help, and she pushed herself to try again to get back to the edge where she left her bracelet.

"I'm okay," she mumbled to herself, hoping that voicing affirmation would help, "I'm gonna put my bracelet back on, and I'm gonna be fine."

First few steps of her third attempt, she had to stop to swallow hard, and she shut her eyes, her hands grasping her knees as she bent over. She couldn't tell what was worse then, how sick she felt, or how her knees stung as she felt the indentations from where all the graveled stone had left its mark from when she fell just moments before.

May swallowed hard again. No, the sickness was still much worse.

"I will not throw up," she muttered again, but she was feeling desperate, and knew her nausea was inhibiting her critical thinking. She threw her head back and cried, "I will run to my bracelet, and I will be fine."

Her feet managed to pull her all the way this time.

The edge came.

She buckled, her knees crashing into the stone once more, but she barely felt the injury likely making her knees worse through her sickness. All that mattered was that the bracelet was back in her hands. And it was. And she clutched it to her chest as she heaved.

But despite all this, her momentum hadn't stopped.

And her mental and acidic stability came back to her, but by the time she realized what was happening, it was too late.

Her body was no longer in contact with the edge of the pillar.

Air stung her face, then her whole body. Her eyes watered from the drastic change in pressure as she plummeted, everything around her now a whir of blue, before she shut her eyes tight and clenched her arms around her body, her mega bracelet still tight in her hand.

She screamed until her breath ran out. Which didn't take long. Between how ill she just was and the gravity of falling, it wasn't long before the sound of air rushing past her was no more.

* * *

Steven was still on his knees. The prison bottle was still resting in his hands, and his head hung low both in perplexity of the relic and for his current situation. Wallace was right. He needed to call her.

Reaching into his suit jacket, he deposited the prison bottle and pulled out his Pokénav, then stared. 10:27pm. It had only taken him seven minutes to lose to Wallace, and even then, he was nearly 30 minutes late to their arranged time. He needed to call May, but what did he say to her at this point? How was he supposed to word his inability to actually meet her atop Sky Pillar, even if she had even still been up there? Would she have left by then?

Except that the shrill screech of Latias' cry came from above, and a cry Steven had not heard in a long time. His heart instinctively clenched at the sound, but his Pokénav fell from his fingers and he hardly heard it clatter against the ground as his eyes registered the last thing he wanted to see. There was the flash of red whizzing toward the ground that was clearly Latias, but there was another whizzing bit of red several feet lower than her.

It was barely seconds before Steven grasped the severity of what he was seeing. Latias hardly swept under May's body in time, but the faithful Pokémon was able to both break the fall and safely guide her trainer to safety. Steven rushed them, unsure of where to start, but Latias allowed May to slide off of her back and into Steven arms, for which he was grateful. May's arms were clasped around her own body tightly, her knees torn and bloodied, and yet her face managed a deep stillness. He carefully but quickly wriggled his arm supporting her back so that he could use his fingers to touch her neck, and he breathed a moment's relief after registering her pulse and thennoticing that her chest was still rising and falling, so she had only lost consciousness. But why would she have lost consciousness? Did he try to wake her? Did he let her rest? His hands tightened around her arms as his mind fervently flew through questions, until she started stirring.

"M…May?" Steven whispered to her, his stuttering coming from his lack of intention of speaking in the first place. Her name involuntarily left his lips. But at hearing it uttered and just regaining her senses, when May's eyes met Steven's, she took no hesitation in heaving herself out of his arms, despite his dismay, and taking a few awkward steps away from him. She practically slammed her bracelet that was once clenched in her hand back on to her wrist, and she began to pace in front of the entrance to Sky Pillar.

Steven only watched, but he had so many questions. The more he watched May be completely silent with him, essentially ignoring him, and mindlessly pace, the more he couldn't help himself. Steven rushed May, and his hands flew to her shoulders, stabilizing her from her pacing and forcing her attention on to him. "What were you thinking?!" he cried, his voice taking a tone he didn't think he'd ever heard of himself.

May tried to tear away from his grip, but his hands only got tighter. She was physically worn, and didn't have the energy to force her body away.

"Do you realize what would've happened had Latias not come to save you?" He was shaking, and his voice cracked in a very un-gentlemanly manner. May was still heaving, but she kept quiet. She didn't have words yet, and was definitely still recovering, but Steven continued freaking out, "What's gotten into you? Do you understand what you just attempted? Do you not understand how much we need you? How much Hoenn needs you? How much…" He trailed off. When had his face become wet? No, it had been wet this whole time. As if he had said any of that without crying. But May remained stoic.

"Are you done?"

"…"

May's lips were tight, and her eyebrows were raised in her attempt at concealing her anger. "Give me your mega lapel pin."

Steven's eyebrows quickly knitted as her demand gave him pause, but he wasn't about to deny her request. He retracted his hands from her shoulders and reached to his breast pocket, unclipped his pin, and carefully placed it in her hands. She was ready to do to him what her dad had done to her. She took a step back from him, and watched his face to see if he had any reaction to the loss of contact to his key stone. He gave her a peculiar look, but didn't seem physically bothered. She took another step back. Nothing. She skipped toward the sealed entrance of Sky Pillar. Still nothing, except an even more confused Steven.

"May, what are you doing?" Steven asked in a soft, worn voice.

"An experiment," she said, huffing, chewing the inside of her mouth as she stepped with heavy feet back to Steven, handing back his lapel pin. "That's something you should have _lots_ of experience with, right?" She asked with fervor. "And now I know for sure!" she cried, her legs carrying her into feverish pace in front of the Sky Pillar entrance, "So it's JUST me!"

"_What's_ just you, May?" Steven said in a concerned tone.

She halted and turned on her heel to face Steven, throwing her arm up with her newly recovered mega bracelet adorning her wrist again, and pointed to it angrily with her other hand. "This…_key stone_ of mine can't leave my body, and I didn't learn that until my dad made me take off this bracelet. My own father, speculative of Devon's intentions. I never took this bracelet off before today. Why? Why have I never taken it off before? Is it because _you_ gave it to me, and I was so infatuated with the idea of being special? Is it because I understood it as this bond I share with my Pokémon that I never want to break? What about everyone else with key stones? Brendan, Wally, Archie, Maxie…they all had their key stones forcibly taken from them, but the separation doesn't bother _them_."

May knew she was ranting, but she found herself unable to stop, until Steven slowly approached her, arms raised, attempting to reach for her shoulders once more. She knew he was trying to calm her down

"May…I need you to slow down, or backup, or something," Steven said, instinctively taking initiative for the sake of her sanity, his voice showing that he truly had no idea what she was trying to get at.

"Something is _different_ about my key stone," she practically growled, her eyes still not leaving Steven. "It's like it's a _part_ of me. You think I JUMPED from Sky Pillar? You think I'd do that to my Pokémon?!" She progressively gained volume and intensity, and Steven's expression continued on to further confused concern, but May wasn't having it. "I was testing my body's distance from my key stone! I got violently ill, and in my attempt to grab my bracelet, slipped and fell because I couldn't see straight from how nauseous I was."

That finally got Steven's disposition to take an even more dramatic shift, and now May almost wished he hadn't, because seeing his face full of dread only fueled her flame.

"So don't you DARE put the blame for what just happened on ME," she practically spat. The thought briefly crossed her mind that she probably shouldn't be letting herself get so worked up after just being so sick, but she couldn't help it. Her life had been built on her bonds with her Pokémon, and her key stone was part of that.

The sky had lost all traces of blue at this point and had become black, but everything was still fully illuminated by the stars in the night sky. And even with the sun being gone, being on an island out in the middle of Hoenn waters still kept them plenty warm. After attempting to take it all in, May turned toward Latias, who responded with flying back toward her body. May got on Latias' back, and stretched a hand out towards Steven, albeit at this point begrudgingly.

"The complete lack of light noise makes Sky Pillar perfect," May said, "So come on, hurry up."

Steven was utterly confused. She had clearly expressed disdain for him – shouldn't she have stormed off without him? His response was timid. "Are you sure you want me to come with you?"

It wasn't dark enough for Steven to miss seeing May roll her eyes. "Oh, don't misunderstand me. I'm plenty pissed at you," she said, "But we're already here, and the shower is about to start. Either way, it'd be shameful to not watch it if we can."

Steven tried to not look too hurt by her words, but regardless, she was doing him a service by taking him with her to the top of Sky Pillar, with him being "unworthy." He carefully mounted Latias behind May, and the eon Pokémon did what she did best and ascended the historical Pillar, taking them to the top. When they dismounted, May quickly took a seat at the edge, letting her feet dangle over the side, and Steven was stuck standing in aw.

"I always knew that an altar for Rayquaza existed here in Hoenn," Steven whispered, trying to take it al in, "but I had no idea it was so…"

The word was probably "breathtaking," but May would never hear it. The first meteor of the shower whizzed through the sky, and the realization hit Steven in the chest like a dozen Makuhita brick-breaks.

"Would you come sit next to me already?!" May cried, not bothering to look at him and keeping her head back with eyes to the sky. "You might be incredibly intelligent, but honestly, you're as oblivious as a Slakoth sometimes."

Despite being scared of being that near to her when he knew she was upset with him and why, he listened to her and sat down, making sure to leave enough space between them as to not be misconstrued.

But this attempt completely backfired when the space between them disappeared as May scooted completely next to him.

"Look, I'm pretty disturbed about my mega bracelet, but based on your reaction earlier, I have a feeling you don't know the whole picture either." She said. Steven turned his head to her, hopeful, but May still didn't turn to look back, that is, until a brief moment slipped and she said, "but I'm trying my best to not forget the actual reason for tonight, and well…" May fought through the embarrassment and other collaborative feelings combatting within her. Was she upset? Absolutely. Was she ready to cut Steven off because of it? Not yet, but only for one reason. "I asked you to come tonight, and you didn't have to, and you are here, so…" she trailed off, and looked back at the sky. It was too embarrassing!

Steven held his eyes on May for a moment more before his neck got too warm, and he had to cough to regain his composure as he also turned his head to look back up at the sky. Did they have problems they still needed to work out, both personal and for the well-being of Hoenn? Yes, and they would get to them. But for the time being, May made it clear that they should just enjoy the night: watching the meteor shower in each others' company.

Another glowing rock plummeted through the sky. "I did my research," May spoke softly, "Tonight is an Orionid meteor shower. So there will only be ten to twenty meteors within the hour. So the ones we do get to see, we should consider ourselves lucky to have gotten to see at all."

"You took the words from my mouth," Steven replied in a whisper, "And somehow I feel like it's too much of a coincidence that I'm here watching an Orionid shower here with you, because you're so similar." Steven debated on holding his tongue, but because the air was full of silence at May's lack of immediate response, he chose instead to press on, "With how much you and I were traveling across Hoenn, and for us to cross paths so many times, I consider myself lucky to have gotten to know you, let alone even meet you, and call you my-"

May's heart pounded, and it felt so intense that she was certain Steven had to have heard it as they sat in the silent stillness atop Sky Pillar. She forced herself to look at him, desperate to hear how he'd finish that sentence, but he only continued looking up at the sky. '_Be bold,'_ the inside of her head _screamed_, and she knew she had to do _something_. She glanced over him, and chose to cover his hand he used to prop himself up with her own. "Call me your what?" she repeated breathily in question.

Be it to the contact or the question, Steven quickly retracted his hand from under May's and now his attention was on her. "I'm sorry," he barely whispered, but May had just about had it.

"You _should_ be, but not about _this_," May said, and this time grabbed his hand with her own, then made eye contact with him again, "Do you…not want me to hold your hand?"

Steven flushed, and tried to welcome the contact, but he couldn't stop his face from heating up or his heart from hammering. "I'm sorry," he started with an apology again, "but I'm still getting used to the idea that you even want to be anywhere near me."

May huffed. "Really?" she asked, her voice depicting her frustration, "I thought we were over this part." Keeping eye contact through this was _so hard_, but May had convinced herself that it was now or never. "Just what _am_ I to you, Steven?"

Steven could only stare back at May with wide eyes, his lips slightly parted. May couldn't stand it. Why couldn't he answer her? Was the shame of Devon really getting in the way that much? Why did she feel so strongly about this? Her eyes were getting hot, and she put her head back to stop the tears from falling. At least if she was like that, there was no question and she looked like she was watching for stars. Why did she let this bother her so much? "Am I your favorite mentee? Your rival? A convenient acquaintance? _What_?!"

It was too much to bear. May retracted her hand, her arms crossing over her knees as she drew her legs in, the motion of it almost voluntary. Seconds went by. She had to shut her eyes. The elongated silence was becoming deafening.

"I don't deserve…to address you in the way my heart wants to."

"Oh, Sweet Suicune," May whispered in a voice that was somewhere mixing her sadness and agitation. "Okay, let's say you _do_ deserve me." He said it first, so she was going to go with it. She was just using his language. Even if he didn't entirely know what was going on; hell, he was probably just as much a pawn as she; at least he was feeling some guilt through all of this, and she was going to use it. "How _do_ you want to address me?"

May could almost place the look in Steven's eyes in that moment. It reminded her of when he flew in on Skarmory and found her on that tiny island when the extreme weather began all those months ago. Was it…fear of something nearly lost? Things were pretty hopeless then…were things about to get that hopeless again?

It hit May why Steven might have been flustered. Hoenn was still in crisis. Guilt washed over her again like it had when she realized it while talking to her father earlier.

"May, I can't-" Steven tried, but May didn't let him finish.

"No, don't answer that…" May cut him off, and she looked back at the sky. Her eyes stung. Why did she set this up like this? There was so much to do still. She remembered then what they should have been up to, and squeezed the tears back the best she could before turning her face to his again and asked, "Did you bring the plates you found?"

When May turned to look at Steven, her cheeks got hot when she saw that he hadn't stopped looking at her. "Ah, yes, but…" he trailed off, his turn to look away from her, first down at the expanse of sea, then the sky, "Can we deal with that later? Didn't you want to watch the meteor shower? The Space Center reported not knowing for sure when it would be, either tonight or tomorrow, and you guessed correctly." So Steven did pay attention to the Buzznav, after all. "We shouldn't let that go to waste, right?"

May didn't know whether to feel relieved, or worse. And she definitely didn't know how to feel when Steven spoke to her again in a much quieter voice, but with no white noise so high up, she still heard him loud and clear.

"Can I…hold your hand while we're up here?"

The question was so completely unexpected, and May's heart skipped a beat, but she managed to squeak, "Y-yeah."

It had been a few minutes without any more meteors, and a few minutes without either of the young champions speaking. Moments later, May saw a meteor zip by, and she instinctively squeezed Steven's hand and pointed to it in the sky. "Look!"

By the time he looked though, the meteor was gone, but it didn't matter, because turning his head drew his eyes back to May again, and seeing her reaction was enough. "What was that, three now?"

May thought for a second to remember, then replied, "Yeah, we've maybe been here…fifteen minutes, I think?" That's right, Orionid showers were essentially, in comparison to other meteor showers, pretty chill. They'd need to hang out for quite a while if they hoped to see just a couple more. "We don't… have to stay here much longer if you don't want to. I know we have a-"

May stopped speaking when Steven squeezed her hand. "You _were_ the one who suggested we stay up and enjoy the night, but," Steven said, "we'll do whatever _you_ want, then, okay?"

What she wanted? What _did_ she want at this point? She "hmph'd" at herself, then replied, "Sorry for being so flighty. I hope you can try to understand…a little bit where I'm coming from, and the day I've had."

"Oh you needn't worry about that," Steven said, followed by a chuckle. "I'm just trying to stay mindful of where I probably stand with you right now. I know you've probably got a hundred questions for me."

A hundred questions, but May knew he was thinking about Devon in particular. And of course she had questions about Devon, and knew that Steven expected her to ask her about what was going on with her and her mega stone. But in that moment, she wasn't taking to the idea of being predictable very much.

"What business did you have in Kalos?"

May knew her question was successful at the twitch of Steven's thumb against her own, and when she turned to look at him, his disposition anew. His face was something of interest, but he still had his gentle smile that he somehow maintained even when he was unsure of something. Maybe she needed to press him further? "Or was your business straight up finding a Carbink that looked like me?"

That brought some color out in his face. Steven forced an embarrassed laugh and grin as he threw his other hand behind his head and said, "Aha, yeah, okay, I can talk about that." He turned his head to look at the sky once more before his voice became soft again, "I was trying to track down my mother."

May's mouth suddenly felt dry. His…_mom_? Her brain wracked, and she realized in a second that she didn't actually know much about Steven's upbringing, beyond his dad owning Devon, that is. She searched his face to see how his demeanor had changed. She followed his eyes as they left the sky and searched out at the sea, and his lips still appeared to be in a smile, but were held tighter now. Her stomach leapt. Was that a look of nerves?

"Oh, Steven, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's okay, actually, I'd _like_ to tell you, if that's alright."

He _wanted_ to tell her? She nodded encouragingly.

"When my father was preparing to take on Devon, he was doing a lot of traveling away from his wife while doing recon work, and learning the inside out of the major communication companies of other regions. At least the way it's been explained to me, it seemed my father had been making more frequent trips to Kalos than any other region. While he was still engaging in business, as these stories tend to go, it had also appeared that he had taken on a lover."

After that much, Steven turned to look back at May, who was at attention, and he felt his ears get hot, using his other hand this time to loosen his ascot. "Sorry," he said in a much different tone, "this story is kind of embarrassing. I don't even know why I started sharing it."

May inhaled quickly, now noticing how much crisper the air had gotten. "Yeah, how dare you want me to know more about you!" she jested.

But of course, Steven still being caught up in everything, became visibly flustered and said, "Is that it? Even now, even with personal matters now, all because you asked an inconsequential question, I still end up finding myself wanting to know what you think."

"Well you can't leave me hanging _now_," May urged, "I mean, you just told me that your father took on a _lover_! So…that's your mom?" She made sure her tone of voice changed from how it was just moments ago so that she'd be taken seriously and sincerely, "and you're half Kalosian?"

Steven nodded, and continued his story. "When my father learned that she was pregnant with me, he was thrilled. Supposedly he had wanted nothing more than to start a family with her. And supposedly, when my grandfather learned of the affair, he had been, well, less than thrilled. My grandfather had worked hard in conjunction with my father and the family of his then wife, the _Devon_ family, so that he could become the next president of Devon. Although the pursuits were different back then, Devon has always been at the forefront of technological success here in Hoenn. "

He went on to share the story of how when his grandfather learned of the "ill-legitimate" child, and said child's mother's chronic illness, deals were made. Devon would need an heir, and Joseph clearly was not going to have a child with his wife. Steven was to grow up in Hoenn strictly as Joseph's son, in exchange for Devon using its Infinite Energy to keep Steven's mother alive. It was a deal Joseph couldn't turn down.

"Steven, I had no idea…so wait, did you find her?"

"Ah…" Steven voiced strangely, a hand lifting to the back of his neck, "no. Every "lead" that I had led me to a dead-end, as well."

Steven didn't seem to have much to say about the situation other than that, so May figured there wasn't more to be said. That, or that was all Steven cared to share, but she started to feel she had reason to believe that that wasn't the case. Before she could prod with another question though, Steven's Pokénav rang. He took it out to check the caller, and after seeing it, hit ignore, and pocketed it again.

"Speaking of my old man," Steven muttered, his voice hinting at some distaste.

"It is pretty late…if he's calling this late, wouldn't it be important? Should you answer?" May speculated, despite her current unclear debacle with Devon.

"If it's important, he can leave a voicemail," Steven muttered, "I have only half a mind right now to not drop my Pokénav off of this tower."

May turned to look at Steven with concern, but he still only looked back at her with his somber smile. "I'm not going to let my father potentially ruin my night. I already let him ruin most of my day. Yeah, tonight hasn't been stress-free, but it hasn't been the worst, either."

As if on cue after Steven finished talking, his Pokénav went off with a few beeps to indicate that he had received a voicemail. "And I will check that later," he said.

At least in May's memory, Steven's father always seemed like a nice man to her, at least in her experiences with him. But after the realization of her bracelet and based on Steven's lack of understanding regarding the serious effect it was having on her body, that tipped her off to the man having some serious secrets. Still, she had a hard time envisioning Joseph Stone being negligent of his only son, regardless of what cards he had slipped into her deck, especially if it was at the cost of the life of someone else he loved.

Which led her to remembering some of what her father had said that day about her current situation. She suddenly became hyper-aware of her fingers still laced within Steven's. Even though the air was still thanks to how high up they were, May felt chilled nearly all over, despite feeling like her heart and face could put a Torkoal to shame. Her father had said that if Steven didn't kiss her by the end of the night, he was gay. Regardless of the legitimacy of that claim, May still couldn't stop battling with the concept of how that evening would end equating to Steven's interest level in her, at the least.

The contact was broken and consequently broke May's attention, and her snap thought process was that Steven was separating to get ready to leave. But when she looked, he was removing his suit jacket and the little space between them disappeared as he scooted completely next to her and draped his jacket over her nearly bare shoulders.

But he didn't retract his hands. Instead, his outer hand came up over her shoulder, his near hand coming down to hold her upper arm through the fabric. May noticed her breathing slow and deepen. She almost fought through the nerves to turn her face to look at him, until she realized how near his head had become thanks to their new arrangement.

And she thought she'd become more aware of her breathing before, until Steven's face nuzzled in to the side of her head. How did she interpret this embrace? Was he hugging her? Did she return it? How? Had she been cold before, she wasn't now for _sure_.

"Is this okay?" he barely whispered, May registering his breath against her ear. "I figured you could use my jacket if we're going to be here for awhile. Your knuckles were cold and you had Swanna-bumps."

Well that had been observant. "Th-thanks," she stuttered. A moment passed. He hadn't moved. She tried her best not to tense. "Steven….you can't watch for meteors like this."

His hands tightened, then slightly slid down over her arms. He still didn't move his head as he softly said, "Sorry, I got caught up in thinking."

May giggled at that, despite it half out of nerves, "Arceus forbid you stop thinking for a second."

Steven gave an irritated hum, and this got him to retract his hands and pull back to look at May. "_That's_ what's been bothering me though, May. Can we talk about that for a second?"

"What, you not knowing how to stop thinking?"

"No, May…_Arceus_."

Steven turned his torso away from May and towards his backpack, and when he turned to face her again, his share of the Plates were piled in his hands. "You have your plates, right?"

"_Oh_."

"Right," she murmured, unzipping her fanny pack to take out the plates she had collected, but before she could fully bring them out into the open, they began to glow in her hands, as did the pile in Steven's hands

The two looked at each other in aw, then back at the plates. The plates then became pure light, and flew up and at each other, the plates no longer in sight. Instead, once the light cleared, a light blue flute of glass sat in May's hands.

Steven quickly inhaled at the sight of it, then breathed, "The Azure Flute…"

And at his recognition of the new item, her hands gripped around the mystical piece. "Oh, so you remember the purpose of this goose-chase now?"

"May," Steven quickly interjected, realizing maybe she'd listen to him explain the nature of their new found situation, "the Azure Flute is one of the most speculated and sought-after mythical items in existence, that is, assuming it exists, which, now that it's here, it clearly does."

After Steven said that, May suddenly felt pressure in her chest. "The name sounds familiar, but I don't think I know its importance," she admitted.

There was clearly some hesitation in Steven wanting to clarify. "It's _said_ that if you play the flute, it will summon the three of spirit…and The Original One."

May almost dropped the flute. She wasn't stupid. She was pretty much raised on those words. She knew exactly who the creator was. No wonder saying the name had reminded Steven of the Plates. "So…you knew about the Plates?"

"Did you read the text of any of them as you were collecting?" he asked, genuinely surprised, "One of mine read, _The Original One breathed alone before the universe came._ I had my hunches, but I had no idea that The Azure Flute was the end result."

"So…the plates being in Hoenn for some reason, and my dreams about collecting the plates," May said carefully, "does this mean that we're going to need to use this flute?"

That was exactly what Steven was worried she was going to say. "I guess at this point, it's possible." He thought back to the prison bottle now sitting within his suit jacket, the same jacket still on May's shoulders, and remembered Wallace's message from Cynthia. He knew May was going to be adamant about keeping the flute. She was the one who had prophetic dreams about the Plates, after all. But if he could use the prison bottle should something happen to them, hopefully that meant her not having to use the flute.

So May tucked the flute carefully away into her fanny pack, and then pulled out her Pokénav to check the time. 11:56PM. They'd been out there for quite a long time. "I didn't realize it had gotten so late, sorry for keeping you out so long," May muttered, subconsciously grasping Steven's jacket in response to the chilly night air.

"I haven't a qualm about it," Steven replied softly, "Between the two of us, it seems there's always something ominous to tend to. So it's nice to just be like this sometimes. The chance for a calm, to just forget for awhile is worth it."

May couldn't help but let a tiny smile cross her lips. Regardless of how his feelings were for her exactly, she knew he cared for her in some fashion, and she decided that for that moment, that was more than enough. She shrugged his jacket off of her shoulders and handed it back to him, allowing herself to stand back up. "I think it's reasonable to call it a night, don't you?"

It took Steven's brain a moment to understand the combination of May returning his jacket to him and her standing up and what she had just said, so he was awkward in also standing back up and how he spaced himself from her as he faced her. May was hopeful, if just for a moment, in the way Steven looked at her.

"How is your heart so strong?" he whispered to her in a question, his stance unusual for him, with more weight to one side then the other, giving him a much different demeanor than his usually powerful posture.

May's eyebrows immediately knit. That had to be rhetorical. She felt her chest tighten in waiting for further explanation, but even that felt like eternities. Steven cast a look down and off to the side before he brought his eyes to hers again to continue.

"I used to think we belonged side by side. I thought our champion-level combination was perfectly matched; that our abilities complimented each other. But…" he looked away from her again, "you went on to become more than I ever even imagined. I always knew there was something about you, something great. You made me question everything I knew, everything I thought about Hoenn, and the world. The way you work with your Pokémon, the way you communicate with _Legendary_ Pokémon, that takes a strong heart. A strong heart I have no idea I have any shot of achieving in my own life."

The way Steven looked before her, and the words he was saying, it was all tearing her apart, in the best way possible. She knew he was feeling conflicted and torn by everything, and what he was sharing now, were feelings she had no idea he had had. She knew this was it. She knew this was the now or never of her evening. Her heart swelled. Her breathing quickened. She took the step to close the gap. Bringing a hand to cup his face and turn his head to look at her, she was both confident and nervous as all hell in reaction to how his eyes became more alert and searched her face. May dipped her head in towards his chest and whispered, "This whole time, you've always belonged by my side."

Shyly tipping her head back upward to look at Steven's face again, she took note that he had gone quiet. It made her self-conscious, but she was unable to look away once their eyes had met again. His silver stare was intense, almost threatening. For a moment, May worried he was angry, until it happened.

She heard the slight thump of his jacket falling to the ground before an arm was swooped behind her lower back, another hand behind her neck, and her eyes instinctively fluttered shut as Steven's face slightly tilted. He brought his lips to meet hers. The release of anticipation May felt was indescribable, and she responded equally. The pressure of his hands on her lower back and neck increased as he pulled her body against his, May now able to feel his chest rising and falling rapidly as he alternated openly kissing her top lip to her bottom, again and again and again. Time was lost.

As were they. Something had not been happy about Steven's jacket falling, as seconds after, it became cloaked in a purple aura, and May and Steven were taken in a golden hoop.


	13. Hyperspace Hole

Chapter Notes - This chapter alludes to basic understanding of Pokémon Adventures RSE the manga, and locations/characters from Kalos. All is canon and if there is something you feel like you're missing, Bulbapedia is a great resource to get quick plot synopsis.

* * *

They parted. May's eyes fluttered open and she started to sigh in excited contentment, until she saw Steven's response.

Happy or content was the last way to describe how he looked.

"I didn't…I mean…I can't…" Steven kept starting over, never finishing a single statement. Something was amiss. He stepped away to create distance.

May was going to lose him if she didn't act fast. "Yes you can!" she cried in response, grabbing one of his hands in both of hers. "What aren't you telling me?!" Steven didn't fight to break away from her, but he wouldn't look at her, either. "I know you've wanted to tell me something ever since we met back up in Mossdeep, but we had something more pressing to deal with. Then you forgot everything, everything about me, and the way you acted then was-"

"Inappropriate," he said, cutting her off, suddenly reminded of the shame he associated with his behavior in the days prior to meeting Celebi. Why was she bringing this up?

"No, the _opposite_," she said, more softly than before, but still with the same intensity, "You were being honest with me. Something you know is stopping you from being truthful with me…" she paused when she noticed that that statement elicited a reaction from him. She wasn't wrong. "…and _there_ it is. Steven…what aren't you telling me?"

Steven shut his eyes and grimaced. He felt May let go of his hand, and he decided it was for the best. He needed her to give up on him if he wanted to keep her safe, and the less she knew about Devon, the better off she would be. He considered his options in his mind before ending the awkward silence.

"I'll tell you everything I've been hiding if you promise me…" he hesitated, weighing whether he wanted to continue with the idea he had come up with on the spot, whether it was too cruel or not, "to stop working with me on the island and hoop situation…promise me you will not use the Azure Flute…and promise me…you'll stop using mega evolution for awhile." Steven winced as he forced himself to make eye contact with May, and rightfully so.

May found herself biting the inside of her cheek as her head slowly nodded, coming to realization. She whispered, "This is about keeping me safe, isn't it?" That's what everything he said had in common: situations where she was at risk.

"I should have never pressured you to put yourself in harm's way," Steven muttered, "and I can hardly live with myself knowing that what I asked you to do is bringing you suffering to this day."

"But I'm not upset about that!" May countered, her voice garnering intensity again, "Not once did I blame you for anything that happened. I don't fault you at all!"

"Well maybe you should."

When May looked back at Steven after that last statement, she saw him hunched, fists clenched, face still grimaced, before he continued speaking in explanation. "Because I'm a damned egoist, and I've yielded to that twice now. I originally intended to get away from you in order to keep you safe…and hated every second of it. What a screwed-up jerk I was. That letter I wrote for you, I did to push you away, too, even though I knew it would hurt you…"

"Keep me safe from what through?!" May's voice was full of exasperation, but was only met with feigned coolness.

"Do you promise to drop this island business? And let me take care of it?"

"I can't believe you're using an ultimatum with me."

It had gotten so dark. May could barely make out Steven's face at this point. She closed the distance between them again, and he turned his face away from her as she approached.

"So are you going to stop working with me then?"

"Absolutely not," May responded instantly, but albeit in a surprisingly more pleasant mood than she had voiced moments prior, "I'm not in a business of making promises I can't keep, and I have no desire to stop being by your side. I know you want me with you, and you're going to crack eventually, just with me being with you."

"…"

"What, was _that_ too forward?"

Steven didn't answer right away, and without words, enclosed May in his arms. Her eyes widened. She wasn't sure how to respond at first either, but her arms eventually made their way around him to return the embrace.

"You're right," he barely whispered. "Of course I want to be by your side." His grasp on her tightened. "Just…you can leave me whenever you want, okay?"

It was May's turn to freeze up. She finally realized where they were, and it wasn't Sky Pillar anymore. She tensed and her arms dropped.

"Wait, Steven, hang on a second."

Steven let go of May and stepped back, looking around the area, as did May. It may have been dark, but they were able to see that they were back in front of May's secret base on Route 120.

Their faces paled in realization.

"How…_when_…"

It took about five more seconds for their faces to light up to a bright crimson at the next mutual realization.

"It's…late," Steven muffled, "I should probably get going. I'll stay at the Pokémon Center in Fortree, okay?"

"Oh, okay…" May's voice timidly replied, unsure of his abrupt decision.

Steven tried to walk away, but as soon as he took a few steps away from the base, a golden hoop made him disappear, and he reappeared in front of May again, with another golden hoop.

Then what could only be described as a laugh came from behind May. Her face paled again, as did Steven's.

She spun around.

She met nothing but tall grass swaying in the night breeze.

Except in two seconds, Steven appeared before her again through the same golden hoop. He stumbled to maintain his balance, and his hair was disheveled. Then the same laugh came again from behind May. She spun around again. Still, nothing was there.

"I think our hoop _friend_ is getting closer to showing themselves to us, and I think they aren't letting you leave, either," May murmured.

Steven gave a flustered sigh, subconsciously straightened his jacket, then snidely mumbled back, "Well, our _hoop friend_ also deposited us at your secret base. They might as well have also brought us Flint's latest R&amp;B album."

May's face flushed. Steven realized what he said, his hands immediately going up in apology. "Sorry, that…that was crude, especially considering-"

"-No, it was funny," May cut him off, letting herself giggle, "It just...caught me off guard is all." She briefly surveyed their surroundings again before then saying, "but you have a point. Think about it. Whatever brought us here, whatever has been moving us around this whole time, knows us, and has clearly been watching and monitoring us."

Steven's brain flickered to the prison bottle in his jacket. The gold rings did match the hoops they had been seeing. There didn't seem to be any threat yet, but… "So when we were taken to that other…world…it wasn't by mistake or phenomena…"

"It couldn't have been. It had to have been intentional," May pondered for just a moment, then said, "Do you think it's a Pokémon? A Pokémon that has the ability to use those hoops as portals…to anywhere at any time…even through dimensions?"

That made Steven tense up even more. If that was the case, then he had almost no doubt that the prison bottle was related. He humored the thought of bringing the bottle up to May's attention, but that risked her insisting on being the one to use it if it came to that, something he wouldn't let happen.

"I think that theory is fairly plausible…" Steven said, his voice sounding foreign to himself. He had withheld information from May before, so what made this time so much more difficult? And putting the situation in that light only made it that much worse in his head. "But that still brings me to wonder…why us? Why Hoenn? What business, what interest does this Pokémon have with us?"

"Maybe it's not just us," May answered, "and maybe we should start getting ready for bed." She glanced at her Pokénav. It was already nearing 12:30AM. "We can at least keep talking and try to come up with a plan, especially since you leaving is apparently futile.

Steven forced a nod, despite his neck feeling locked as it heated up. He followed May into her base, and the layout was still the same as the last time they were there, with room dividers making their spaces clear. He started to head to his side, until May grabbed his wrist.

"Just…hang on," she whispered. When Steven turned to look at her, how quiet the base was and their proximity was all the more apparent. She was staring at his chest, and when she felt his gaze return to her, she gripped his hand tighter.

When she mustered the courage to lift her face to look at his, her cheeks were beat red. "Can we at least…drop the room dividers? A-after we change, I mean, of course."

Steven sighed with a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Managing a soft smile, he said, "I think that'd be alright."

They'd gone to their respective sides, and it was then that May realized how much her chest had been pounding. What did she do now? Sure, they'd been sleeping in the same room for a while now, hell, they'd fallen asleep embracing each other! After changing, she put her hands to her cheeks. She was still so warm! How did she calm down?

"May?" Steven's voice meekly called out, breaking her from her thoughts, but not helping her situation, hearing his voice like that, "Are you decent?"

Decently dressed, maybe, but decent thoughts? May was struggling, but she forced herself into bed and flew under the covers before squeaking, "Yeah."

The room dividers disappeared, and Steven was revealed to May, standing by the dresser where the laptop was that controlled items in the secret base. And May had to pull her covers up over her face, right below her eyes. She couldn't help it; it had been almost involuntary. Steven had opted for a sleeveless shirt with his pajama pants, so there were his arms again, in plain sight. There was no mistake about it, she was thinking about being held in those arms again. Her eyes lifted to his face, still set on the laptop. Of course she had to look at his lips. Her face heated up again at the memory of only not so long ago, and she was at complete loss for how to calm down.

"You wouldn't have by chance…have bought me a fan, did you?" May asked, trying to make her voice sound as normal as possible.

"It is warm in here, isn't it?" Steven responded. "I've been looking through your account for a fan already, but you don't seem to have one. I might be able to access my own account to bring one in."

So maybe it wasn't just her.

Maybe it wasn't just her secret base that was warm, either. Arceus banish the thought!

But even just with the automatic mention in her mind of Arceus like that, she couldn't help but think about the Azure Flute again. For now, it sat in her bag. Bringing all the plates together, like what was she was foretold to do in her dreams, brought that flute into existence, and it apparently summoned The Creator when it was played. Thinking about that made her heart skip a beat, as well, for different reasons, and reminded her again that pursuing anything with Steven at the time was selfish, for a variety of reasons involving the current state of Hoenn, and probably the Devon Corporation.

Steven sighed contentedly and wiped his brow. "Got it," he breathed, and a rotating fan appeared at the opposite side of the room, alternating blowing from side to side. Steven turned off the main lighting in the base before crawling into his own bed.

May realized she was lying on her side facing Steven, but opted for it not being weird if she kept her eyes closed. Which didn't last long, because she had too many thoughts clinging to her mind.

"Steven…do you honestly think…we might have to use the Azure Flute?"

The lights may have been out, but May could hear Steven shifting from however he had been before, and a small lamplight turned on. May could clearly see Steven then, lying on his side facing her as well.

"You're not really tired, are you?" Steven genuinely asked back.

"No, I am, it's been a pretty long and intense day," May replied, followed by a yawn, "and you didn't answer my question. What do you think about us pretty much being led to create the Azure Flute?"

"To be perfectly honest," Steven said, eyes looking away, "I don't particularly care for it. I say that though because, similarly to how the Meteorite came into your possession and continued growing in strength until you met Rayquaza, this seems too much like a parallel for me. Not to mention…" Steven faltered before finishing describing his worries, "the risks of summoning Arceus might be more than that of summoning Rayquaza."

May's eyes naturally went from her bag on the floor, the Azure Flute within it, before they returned to Steven. "…risks?"

Steven held his eyes closed briefly before responding. "They're mostly wives' tales, but…supposedly, something has to be given up, or _taken_, when calling upon Arceus."

May's heart sank, but that description reminded her of what Morty had said about the last person who collected the plates. She said, "The captain of the S.S. Aqua, he collected the plates right? Morty said that after he did whatever it was he needed with them, that they disappeared. Does anyone know what happened to the captain?"

Steven grimaced. "Most people have a vague idea, actually. It was in the news. Not his gathering of the plates or what became of them I mean, but the S.S. Aqua's captain. He went missing for months and it wasn't until he was found on a rowboat by Olivine sailors near the Sevii Islands."

The room was silent, save for the occasional muffled sound of Oddish from outside. May eventually whispered, "Okay…I'll keep that in mind."

Steven did not care for that answer. "May…no matter what happens, don't feel like you have to use the flute."

"…yeah."

Steven didn't think she actually heard him, with how she responded. She wouldn't look at him, half her face now covered in blanket, but she looked apprehensive.

She wouldn't look up, but May heard Steven shifting, and then his footsteps. _Oh no, no, he wasn't, he wouldn't, he…_

_He was._

"May, look at me."

May lifted her face, just to meet Steven's. He was kneeling at her bedside to be by her. He _knew_ how troubled she was feeling. She tried to not flinch as his hand came to tuck her hair behind her ear. Okay, maybe it was less of a flinching to his hand and more to her own reaction to the unexpected contact from Steven. His hand lingered though, and he opted to cup the side of her face.

"Don't do anything you're not comfortable with doing," Steven said, his eyes quickly searching May's face. She felt ashamed that it was that apparent that she was upset, but it was boiling to a point where she couldn't help it.

"I'm the Champion…" May muttered through a sniffle, "Hoenn needs me. What happens when everything is falling apart," she paused, and a tear rolled, "and I'm the only one who can act? We don't know what's going on with these hoops yet." The pressure in her head was making it harder to breath, so she took Steven's hand in her own from the side of her face and shifted to sit up on the edge of the bed. She urged him with her hand to sit next to her, which he quickly obliged, getting off his knees to be beside her. May hung her head back on her neck to face the ceiling, eyes tight, before continuing in a broken voice, "What happens when…we get separated for whatever reason this _Pokémon_ has in mind, then what? _Then_ what am I supposed to do to find you, to make things right?"

When May brought her head level again to look at Steven, he was met with reddened, teary eyes. She didn't know what to make of the expression she saw on his face, but she knew it made her feel worse.

"And now here I am, crying in front of you and just making things-"

She paused as Steven's thumb caught a tear on her cheek.

"-worse."

Steven's head tipped down toward May. "Just…damn it all." His hand reached for the back of her head and he pulled her head so her forehead met his. May held her breath as his hand slid to her neck and held her firmly, the pressure of his fingers somehow easing her.

"You were right. Of course I'm going to crack with you. I want to help you in any way I can," he whispered. "and no matter what happens, just like you said to me, we'll figure it out together, like we always do. And if we get separated…" he paused, bringing his face back to look at her this time, "we'll find each other. We always do. And besides-"

He dipped his head in again, but this time to the side of her head, and gently hummed a familiar melody in her ear.

May drew breath quickly at the sensation. She had to acknowledge the openness it took to exemplify any kind of song with someone and simultaneously the innate intimacy of the act. She tilted her mouth to his ear in return and whispered back, "Latias and Latios will always help us find each other."

Before Steven could bring his head back, May's arms had wrapped around him, holding him near still. "Steven…_thank you_," her voice came out even softer than before, and while her embrace was strong at first, was drifting, as she nuzzled her face into his neck and shoulder. Steven became very aware of any motion her body made, as her breathing deepened and slowed, her breath grazing his skin. "I really don't know…what I would do…without you…"

Steven had his suspicions, so he carefully supported May in his arms as he shifted their weight to bring her apart from himself. She had exhausted herself to sleep, and probably couldn't rest until she had calmed down, just a little. He felt a tinge of gratitude that he was able to offer at least that much for her. He prudently set her body to lie back in her bed and drew the covers over her. He leaned over her sleeping body, and his hand parted her bangs so that he could softly kiss her forehead, the action coming instinctually. After admiring her resting face for a moment more, he forced himself to return to his own bed, where he turned off the lamp, and fell asleep to thoughts of a promising next day.

What those promises were, though, when he awoke, he realized maybe should have been specified. May's Delcatty Mina woke him, anxiously mewling and pawing at his bed. "Mina…" he mumbled, but when he opened his eyes to look at the feline Pokémon, it was when he looked past her that his insides lurched. He ripped his body out of bed when his thoughts made the connections, and was then frozen still, the pieces coming together.

May was gone, without a trace, her belongings still on her nightstand, her day clothes still neatly folded at the foot of her bed. If Mina was out of her pokéball, then May was likely having trouble sleeping, and now that she wasn't there…

Mina continued mewling, pacing about the secret base, back and forth from Steven to May's bed.

* * *

"Sapphire! Thank goodness you're back already!" That was…a way too familiar voice, approaching her, breaking her from the terror she was about to experience. "But…what…happened to your clothes?"

May knew she had been transported again, but figuring out to _where_ was another thing, especially as she was still trying to wake up, and trying her hardest to ground herself. Events were starting to get too real in her dreams, and this was _not_ her bed. The sun was warm and the sound of waves was everywhere. A breeze blew, and she could taste the salt air. She was able to open her eyes wide enough to see the dock she was floating on. Pacifidlog. She was lying on one of the wooden floating docks that made up Pacifidlog, for _whatever_ reason.

Someone was near. "_Sapphire_, are you alright?!"

Lifting an arm to the sun as she winced to see the hand stretched out for her, May was ready to guess she was still dreaming. "Steven?" she asked. At this point, she knew that voice anywhere. "Since when do you call me Sapphire? And…" she managed to look at him, and the moment she laid eyes on him, a sinking feeling began in her chest, "that's a suit I've never seen before on you."

Yet somehow, that suit didn't seem _completely_ unfamiliar.

"Did Hoopa do something else to you?" Steven asked; his face contorted with worry. "We saw Hoopa take you away in a hoop, and we assumed it was taking you to Mirage Island, so Ruby went looking for you while I stayed here." He grit his teeth and balled a fist before speaking again, "So Hoopa did something with your thoughts AND is a pervert?!"

May's brain was in a frenzy. She fumbled to stand, Steven seeing this and assisting her, and the moment he did, his face washed over with even more confusion.

"Wait, Sapphire, your eyes, they're not blue anymore they're-"

"-Gray. My eyes are gray. My name isn't Sapphire." She took no hesitation in cutting him off. Things were complicated, but now she had questions. "My name is _May_, and I don't think I'm from here. I look like the Sapphire you know?"

Steven's brows quickly knit and he double-blinked. "Sapphire never said anything about a sister…"

May tried not to sigh. Explaining any of this was not going to be an easy task. "_Sapphire_, you said she was taken by _Hoopa_? Just what is _Hoopa_?"

Steven sneered at her repetition of the name. "_Hoopa_ is a prankster Pokémon, and dangerously powerful. It can transport nearly anything with its hoops, even islands. Yet all it's seemed to do with its power so far is play tricks on the people of Hoenn. Sapphire was here moments ago, and Hoopa took her."

"These hoops, they're _gold_, yeah?"

"Every time…" Steven responded warily.

"Then I need to tell you something important," May said, deciding to go ahead and go for it. If she didn't explain, it was just going to be harder on him. "You knowing this might help your situation, since it sounds like it's not so different from mine. This, _Hoopa_," she was still adjusting to it, this so far unseen force, having a name now, "can transport things across worlds, _dimensions_."

Steven's face paled. "You mean…_wait_, how do you know that…you're telling me that…_you're_…"

May exhaled slowly. Guilt laced her features. "This is the second time now that I've been taken somewhere that wasn't in my home world. The islands that Hoopa was moving about, at first we just assumed they were from other regions, because of the Pokémon that inhabited them, but now…now we know it could be cross-dimensional."

She was ready for Steven to go into some sort of alarm, but he still managed to maintain somewhat unruffled. Even in another world, Steven was apparently still Steven. "So…your name is May? Then you must be Sapphire's equivalent from where you're from. But…you knew _my_ name, before even looking at me. How…?"

"You may not be _my_ Steven, but you're still _Steven_," May said, trying to not overthink using the word _my_. It was the only way to make the point. "And I'd recognize his, _your_, voice anywhere." After she said that, she looked him over again. Besides the suit he donned, he really did look just like Steven, and even then, the suit was extremely similar. His hair may have been a slightly different shade, and his face more worn, but there was no doubt, he was Steven.

Then it hit her.

This was the Steven from her dream. Not her flashbacks, but the one _given_ to her, at least, she assumed _given_ to her, either by the Eon Pokémon or Darkrai, whichever. She hadn't had them ever since that night that Steven forced her awake at Lorelei's bed and breakfast, but she still remembered it vividly nonetheless.

"But now I have to ask…" May began, wanting to be careful with her wording, trying to not sound strange despite her revelation, "I know what trouble you've had with Hoopa so far, as it sounds similar to our own, but…what can you tell me about experiences you've had with…_golem_…Pokémon?"

Steven's face became grave and he visibly tensed. "That's awfully specific, you know," he said, lowering his voice, "what do you already know?"

Okay, after that response, this _had_ to be that Steven. "Sorry, this is super crazy, but-"

"-Not as crazy as dying and coming back to life," Steven interrupted. "Try me, I'm not fazed by much anymore."

May froze.

"You mean…the golems…_killed_ you?"

Steven actually managed a chuckle then. Maybe the coincidences were too much for him, but at the same time all adding up, and he'd already accepted it. "Well, they were involved, anyway. But Celebi was able to reverse the events related to my death, and somehow actually brought me back to life. The wonders of Pokémon continue to astound me."

"Then they're about to astound you even more," May replied without missing a beat, "because a Pokémon gave me dreams of your reality. I'm almost sure it was Latias or Latios, as a warning of potential possibilities, but I had no idea it was something like this, something that had already _happened_ to someone."

"This is fascinating," Steven responded, bringing a hand to his chin, "surely, Hoopa will return you when it sees it fit, right? Why don't we go to the Pokémon Center and chat some more there in the meantime. I'm highly interested in learning more about our world's differences…and similarities."

May surprised herself at her lack of hesitation but, she had to admit that she was curious, too. Any more information she could get on Hoopa was going to be important. And her other hope: maybe Sapphire would come back before Hoopa decided to transport her away again.

* * *

Steven raced against time as he scrambled to change clothes, neglecting the whole suit and just whipping out shirt, pants and shoes…and fumbling to get the prison bottle out of his suit jacket pocket and into his pants pocket…just in case. He had no clue for sure where he was headed, but all he could think about was how he needed to _move_ and _fast_ and _look for May_.

He had his Eon Flute whipped out and ready as he dashed out of the secret base, playing the mythical instrument almost with disregard, but still good enough. Latios' cry came from above, but before he could descend, Steven was taken away by a gold hoop, leaving the blue Eon Pokémon confused in front of May's secret base, crying for his suddenly gone companion.

When Steven's feet met ground again, just by the architecture of the town alone, he could immediately tell that he was not in Hoenn anymore. The streets were cobblestone and were nearly all supported as bridges over a body of water. In the distance, still in the town but away from the neighborhood, was a huge, enigmatic, pink crystal sundial. The boutique across the street from where he was deposited tipped him off right away to where he was, as no other region had boutiques quite like them.

Anistar City, Kalos.

Anistar City had of course been a location that Steven had stayed during his travels in the Kalos region. He thought briefly again to the sundial, being the main reason for intrigue in the city, knowing it had some connection to how mega evolution worked in Kalos. However, while that had been the main reason for his _intrigue_, it wasn't the main reason for _stopping_ in Anistar City at the time he had been journeying.

He walked the familiar path toward the north of town, where he saw a camera crew getting set up to do a segment. When he wondered what about, his vision then spotted what they were probably reporting on: the same thing that brought him to Anistar City the first time.

"Hello! It's time for Gym Freaks, your source for the hottest news about hot Gym Leaders in Kalos. So... I'm now in front of the Anistar City Gym! ... Whoaaa! Olympia has arrived! She's beauteous! So beauteous! Those eyes are irresistible! I want to put my wrist into her bracelet right next to her wrist! Then Olympia will be able to see everything in my future... But I don't mind, if it's Olympia... Oh... She went inside the Gym... That's all for the on-site report. Good-bye for now, everyone."

He had remembered Olympia fairly well, as she had been friends with his mother. Whenever she visited, she'd use her cape to entertain him as a child, creating force fields and sending his toys flying around the room. She would even let him put his wrist into her bracelet sometimes, but she'd only tell him simple things, like how many cookies he was allowed to have after dinner or if they were visiting Lumiose City for the weekend or what rocks he was going to dig up in Geosenge Town.

The last time he came to Anistar City, however, Olympia had been gone on League business, and he hadn't the opportunity to see her, nor the time to wait around for her to come back.

His mind nearly blanked at the sight of her. Would she even remember him? That thought triggered another: had the Pokémon using hoops to transport him done this on purpose? Did it know how much he had wanted to speak with Olympia? How her powers could help him find information on her mother, had she not simply known of her own interactions with her, if they even still talked?

Steven nearly forgot everything that had happened recently at the prospect, his feet hastily carrying him toward the city's Gym.

As soon as he entered the gym, he saw Olympia standing at the entrance near the traditional statues marking those who had conquered the Gym, waiting for him. Her periwinkle eyes were soft, and even though it'd been over fifteen years since he'd seen her last, he was washed over with nostalgia at seeing her again.

Olympia smiled warmly at Steven as he approached her and she greeted him. "My, how you have grown. I sensed that you were coming. How can I help you?"

Steven stuttered. "Y-you…remember me?" Or perhaps it was her psychic abilities. Whichever, she spoke to him with familiarity.

At his question, and him being so flustered, Olympia chuckled. "You're Steven Stone, yes? Of course I remember you. You're Ambretta's son."

Steven swallowed hard. It'd been so long since he'd heard that name. After the move to Hoenn, there was no need. His father always referred to her as "your mother," and even then, she was a well-kept secret. He was not to speak of her, and connections had been cut after he moved.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Steven pushed himself to say. He couldn't believe how nervous he was getting over this. Olympia knew him as a boy, and he almost felt rude with this being the point of conversation, but he also had a feeling that she wouldn't necessarily mind. "Do you know if my mother is well? I haven't seen her, even spoken with her, since I was forced to move to Hoenn, and I was here months ago searching for her with no luck. I was wondering…if you could help me see if she's in my future?"

Olympia's immediate smile in reply was reassuring. "That you do not need. Your mother and I still talk. She will be here soon. The café northbound? We are going to meet there. Today you're in luck."

Steven's chest clenched. _His mother was going to be here? In Anistar City_?

"That look you're giving. Do you think you're not ready? Have you not prepared?"

Of course he'd thought over and over in his mind what meeting his mother again would be like. That didn't mean it didn't still frighten him. "What if…she doesn't want to see me?"

Olympia tsked. "You must be joking. Of course she wants to see you. She'll be surprised, though." She saw the flash of doubt across his face. "Come with me, okay? You're going to meet with her. It's been much too long."

He still hesitated.

"I only came back to say that I was leaving the gym for the day."

Steven was getting the idea that Olympia wanted him to see his mother almost as much as he did. She started to leave the gym to lead the way, looking back at Steven expectantly. As his stomach churned, he followed suit.

Anistar City really was beautiful. The way the sun gleamed through the sundial across the city almost made the air around them was shining, the whole city covered in a sparkling light. He also took this moment to recognize again how much more lax daily life was in Kalos compared the hustle and bustle of Hoenn. Sure, there were exceptions, but overall, in any given city, streets in Kalos were full of outdoor seating, filled to the brim with locals relaxing and enjoying coffee or tea.

Maybe that explained why he lacked drive for business and followed his passions instead. He acknowledged yet again that he was privileged in such thanks to his father's success, and he wondered how different things would have been had he had a different upbringing.

Such as, continuing to live in Kalos instead of forcibly being taken to Hoenn to become an "heir" to Devon.

The walk was silent, and they approached the café. Steven felt his heart hammering, his palms sweating. His palms _never_ sweat. He pulled the door open for Olympia, and mustered all of his guts to follow her inside.

"Good morning," the host greeted them as they entered, "Where would you like to sit today?"

"Thank you, but today, we have someone we're meeting, out on the terrace," Olympia replied, still never breaking her way of speaking in haiku, and the host led them to the scenic seating area outside.

Steven recognized her in an instant: long light brown hair cascading over her shoulders and a soft expression to match, just as he remembered her. She sat at a table for two, obviously intended for Olympia whenever she was to arrive and join her, her beverage of choice cupped in her hands as she looked off into the picturesque distance.

Olympia hung back and nodded to Steven to head towards her.

This was it. Not a hundred or more imagined scenarios that he surely had gone through over and over in his mind while he'd been exploring Kalos could have prepared him for this moment. He pushed himself to go ahead and sit down at the table beside her.

His mother didn't move, but smiled into her mug. "So, Olympia, what does my fate look like for me today?"

Steven held his breath, his mother knowing someone sat by her, but not bothering to look his way. Time stood still as she lifted her head to look at who she thought accompanied her.

Had Ambretta been a clumsy woman, her mug would have crashed, hot beverage likely burning her lap. Luckily, there was only the slightest hint of a twitch in her fingers, but she set the mug down immediately following.

Her eyes went wide, but softened and glazed in a matter of seconds before she spoke. "My…how you've grown…" Tears and a crooked smile spilt simultaneously. "Your father still sends me pictures but…Steven…_how_…"

_She was _happy_ to see him._

He'd pick the chair up after, he decided as soon as it was neglected when he abruptly broke from his seat to bend at the waist and hug his mother.

"I'd been looking…searching all over Kalos trying to find you-" he tried to whisper, and nearly failing, his voice cracking every other syllable. Nurture told him to stay cool, but nature tore at his emotions. He pulled away. "Sorry, sorry," he quickly interjected, interrupting his own thoughts, and let himself sit back down across from her, "It's just…Father kept saying, "soon," and "just awhile longer," and he's been saying those things for the past seven years now, and I couldn't just…I couldn't…"

Ambretta tilted her head to the side and softly smiled, reaching a hand across the table to offer to hold her son's when he could no longer find words.

"Your father likely didn't want you to see me until he found a more sustainable way to help my health, because for now, I'm still reliant on infinity energy, something I'm growing more wary of as the days and months pass."

Steven squeezed her hand, his mind's wheels churning. So she _did_ know that it was infinity energy keeping her alive, and with a response like that, likely also knew that it took sacrifices to even make a reality.

"There's so much I wish to talk about, so much we need to catch up on," Ambretta said, her voice becoming flighty, "Your father didn't keep me in the dark about everything. I know of some of the recent years in Hoenn. Tell me about what it was like being Champion!"

Turning his head to quickly glance over the terrace, Steven didn't see Olympia anywhere. She must have tucked out after he sat down. He almost chuckled at the situation as a whole before saying, "Really now, that's what you want to start with? It was honestly, mostly, wonderful. Being a Pokémon trainer and taking on the League Challenge was a chance to break away from being tied to Devon, and I couldn't ask for more just experiencing life with Pokémon. It helped me meet some of the most important people in my world."

"And do you still collect rocks?"

That made Steven blush. "…_and_ minerals. I've been doing a lot of research, too, and I'm considering a PhD in geology, perhaps paleontology or geochemistry…and _not_ petroleum engineering."

Ambretta actually chuckled then. "My, my, you really did stick to it then, after all these years. I still remember your humble rock collection turning into a not so humble rock collection as the years went by."

They were silent for a moment, just the sound of distant conversations at other tables and the clatter of tables being bussed. Maybe it'd been too long. Maybe it was too overwhelming.

"Do you still have the Eon Flutes I gave you?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Steven responded as a jerk reaction to the question, eager to bring his flute out to show his mother, but as soon as he only presented one, Ambretta's face fell, but quickly turned into a smirk.

"So…I see you only have _one_, now…" she said, her features almost knowing.

Steven's face went red. "Yeah, I gave…I mean…uh…her name is _May_…"

"Uhuh…" Ambretta cooed. "And you remember what I said about those flutes, right?"

Steven could practically feel the steam spilling from his ears. "Of course, mother. I promised I'd give it to someone…_special_…and I did..."

"Oh, don't worry, I can tell," she said, the smirk never leaving her lips, "sure, it's been much too long since we've gotten to talk, but you're still my son. And even if you weren't, you're horrendously obvious."

Steven's eyes went wide, but letting himself reflect in a second, couldn't be too surprised or upset. "Is that so?" he asked, returning a soft smile to his mother. It was clear where he had gotten that smile from, in that moment. "We've…been through a lot together…"

Ambretta knew. "_This_ is what I want to hear about. She makes you happy?"

His ears were red, but he was still smiling. "Ridiculously so."

She still knew. "There's something else important that you're not telling me."

That of course gave Steven pause. He had a negative hunch of what she was getting at. Just how much contact did she still have with his father? He started spilling it all; he almost felt obligated. "I think…Devon's been using her. And I think Devon's been using me to use her. I don't know all the details, but looking back, there are too many coincidences. Devon developed a mega bracelet just for her, and I have reason to believe that they've…been using her to create infinity energy."

It was slight, but Steven saw his mother's hands twist and tighten around her mug set on the table. "Steven that's…_terrible_. Are you…going to take any action?"

"I have to. I don't know what yet, but I have to," he said, looking away. He suddenly felt guilty. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for things to get so serious."

"No, that's alright," Ambretta said, forcing a smile, "It's probably my turn to share seriously as well."

Steven's eyebrows knitted and his stomach became tight.

"I'm glad we've gotten to see each other and chat for awhile, Steven."

"For awhile…what do you mean, we just-"

"-You've got your _life_, Steven," she urged, interrupting him, "and it sounds like things are getting hectic…time sensitive. Hoenn needs you."

He nearly retorted with something like _'But I need you!'_ but, unfortunately Steven was more sensible than that. He felt morbid thinking it, heartless even, recognizing that that wasn't true. His mother was likely too frail to travel out of Kalos, as well. He knew where this conversation was going, but that didn't mean he cared for it.

"Steven…my _child_…" she continued on, lowering her voice, "you settle things with Devon…and then come visit me, whenever you want, okay? Here."

Steven's chest felt lighter. So it wasn't what he expected. His mother was reaching into her purse, grabbing a pen and jotting something down onto a napkin, then folded it.

"Promise me, _promise me_," she said, holding the napkin out between herself and Steven's face, and carefully articulated each word, "you do not open this, you do not visit me, until this Devon business is figured out, and Devon gets their business out of May's business, you understand?"

Taking the napkin, he clenched it in his hand, unsure of why she insisted things be that way. He was about to protest, until a golden hoop took him away, his chair rattling from his forced absence.

* * *

"We know of what happened to Calem in Kalos. We can't proceed with this any longer now knowing the risks. But switching May's mega bracelet with one that's like everyone else's will be a task in itself, as will be keeping her father at bay."

"What do you mean _keeping her father at bay_?"

"Norman Maple managed to schedule a meeting with Mr. Stone, which is in part, why we've scheduled this preparatory meeting. We're functioning under the assumption that he knows something is different about May's keystone"

"We need to weigh our options. Do we take the FERPA route because May is a legal adult, or do we explain in an attempt to be ethical?

"Despite, you know, Devon's history with _ethics_…"

"Times were different, alright?"

* * *

Things got silent again, and in seconds, Steven was surrounded by the sound of waves, nothing but blue seas and blue skies. And he'd hear that laugh again that he heard the night before, spin, and see nothing.

"What are you trying to prove?" Steven snarled, close to his wits end. "What has all of this done for you? Do you get off on messing with our lives?"

The laughter was behind him again, and he spun on his heel, practically growling in aggravation.

"Why won't you show yourself to me?!"

_Because that's not fun!_

Steven was familiar with that communication. It wasn't spoken, no, it was sent to his mind, like what Latios and Latias had done on occasion. He was about to spin around again in a frenzy, until something caught his eye.

Several feet in front of him appeared a light purple Pokémon with several pink markings, a v-shaped marking on its chest and golden bands around its wrists, one large band around its lower body, and one hanging from each of its horns.

Steven's throat became tight. This Pokémon completely resembled the prison bottle in his pocket. It couldn't be coincidence. The resemblance is uncanny.

_Go ahead. Do it. I know you're thinking it._

He had been thinking it, for sure, but now that he was being taunted, he wasn't so sure.

_Or do I need to take your lady companion somewhere far, far away? Hmm, maybe high up in the sky? Or at the bottom of the sea. You pick!_

Steven's hand never flew to his pocket so fast.

The moment his hand touched the prison bottle, a purple aura escaped from it, and encompassed his body.

The last thing Steven heard was the Pokémon's laughter.

* * *

"Okay, that's it, we're battling," May muttered, gripping a pokéball and recklessly hurling it forward, "and I could give two shits about the effects of my key stone at this point. I know you're powerful and I ain't taken any more chances."

She had finally encountered the Pokémon that Steven in Pacifidlog had described to her, and it had taken her to the top of Sky Pillar, laughing all the while.

Swampert appeared, ready to fight, and May wasted no time engaging it in mega evolution.

"And today's your lucky day," she scoffed, "because I just stocked up on Ultra Balls."


	14. Work Up

_5 years ago_

When Steven defeated Wallace after passing through the Elite Four, Wallace took the loss hard. He had only been Champion for maybe a week before Steven came through and won against him. The two of them had been rivals throughout the past two years, both making progress through the League challenge at about the same rate, but there were obvious differences between them. Wallace had a humble upbringing, deeply rooted in Sootopolis culture and the importance of existing in a balance with Pokémon and nature. Steven grew up with cash and card at his fingertips, but outside of Devon functions, his time spent was mostly solitary, either with his Pokémon or exploring.

These differences heavily affected their opinions of each other. Wallace saw Steven as spoiled, aloof, and unnecessarily exceedingly frivolous in his public appearances. Steven saw Wallace as having "big fish little pond" syndrome, too empathetic, and also, unnecessarily and exceedingly frivolous.

Half of their opinions of each other changed as the months went on.

Wallace's mentor Juan insisted he take over his gym in Sootopolis after he lost his title as Champion. Wallace had worked there for several years before going on his journey, and amongst the many other trainers also working there, he was always clearly Juan's favorite mentee. Wallace was always the obvious choice. And especially after going through the League challenge, becoming a gym leader would allow Wallace to get closer to a certain _other_ gym leader in Fortree City.

Steven visited Wallace at least once a week. At first, he insisted they get to know each other.

"Is life as the Champion really so drab that you've got nothing better to do than remind me of who took the position from me?"

"Oh, don't be like that," Steven would say, "it's not like you're getting many challengers these days. And if _you're_ not getting challengers, I won't be seeing anyone for a _long_ time. So…where do you go to eat around here?"

"I am not getting dinner with you."

"Come now, you do not detest me _that_ much, do you?"

"I don't know that detest is quite the right word…maybe _indifferent_ would be adequate…"

"Oh, you don't mean that. That's just…too harsh. And plus…I'll pay."

Naturally, that changed Wallace's tune. He was not raised above turning down a free meal, even if it was with someone you thought you loathed. He'd give it a shot.

"Alright, alright, throw your jacket back on." Wallace said, heading to the closet by his front door to grab a coat himself, "I've got just the place in mind."

There was a dive bar around the corner from Wallace's place, "Papagalos." It was the epitome of tiny Sootopolitan cuisine: tiny, loud, crowded, and the overwhelming smell of gyro meat and fried pita chips. They were never greeted by a server. Wallace led them to a booth through the boisterous restaurant, all the while flashing various fingers to someone behind the bar. After Steven sat down, Wallace gave him a finger to signify "one moment," and walked up to the counter, grabbing two pitchers from the bar.

"Oran blossom tea lemonade," Wallace said, setting the pitchers down at the table, "If you're going to eat at a Sootopolitan place, you have to at least try it." He slipped into the booth seat from across the table from Steven, then said, "And don't worry about menus. I've got several sampler platters on their way. That's really the only way to eat here. That will be the true test of this relationship. If you don't like dolma, then I don't know if this is going to work."

Steven just gave a weak smile in response. He had no idea what dolma was. He was clearly out of his element, the intrigue explicit on his face as he observed their surroundings.

"So what drove you to raise Pokémon?" Wallace asked as he poured glasses for himself and Steven. Steven gaped.

"That is a little bit of a personal question, is it not?" Steven asked in return.

"Oh, it is," Wallace answered after taking his first sip of the flowery beverage, "but you've made this personal, so I'm just trying to return the favor."

"I wasn't necessarily offended by your asking, I just wanted to make sure I was on the same page, since I know we don't exactly see eye to eye," Steven replied, also deciding to try to specialty drink. He was surprised when it tasted more like flowers than it did Oran berries like he had expected. _Blossom_ tea. He guessed it made sense when he remembered the name again, it was made from the flower and not the berry. He took another sip. It was really quite good.

"I wasn't concerned about possibly offending you," Wallace retorted, "and you're at least right about that last bit. So help me out. Why Pokémon for you?"

Steven's hand involuntarily tightened around his glass, the condensation from the ice making his hand awkwardly wet. His hands moved to unwrap his silverware for the napkin. "I somehow feel that anything I say to you, you're going to take as a grain of salt, but no matter. My Pokémon are the world to me. Growing up, when I didn't have family, I had my Pokémon. My Pokémon have given me the opportunity to live the life I want, the opportunity to break myself away from the Devon Corporation and its expectations of me."

Wallace held his tongue, and nodded with his head in acknowledgment that he wouldn't interrupt with any snide comments and for Steven to continue. Maybe they weren't so different. He'd give him a chance.

"Mostly growing up in Rustboro, with just my father, was terribly lonely," Steven continued, "So I was desperate to find activities. My father was constantly busy with Devon business, so it wasn't difficult for me to sneak off to Rustboro Tunnel or Meteor Falls to the north if I wanted to explore. My first Pokémon, though, wasn't caught, it was resurrected."

Wallace was quick to look skeptical, but Steven recognized that immediately and rushed to continue, "Nothing occult, I assure you. It was while I was young, that Devon was working closely with researchers from the labs of Cinnabar Island in Kanto, including Gym Leader Blaine. The up and coming project then was resurrecting ancient Pokémon from fossils, something that's fairly a common practice now, for Devon anyway."

"For those with money, you mean," Wallace finally replied, not letting that one slide. Now that Steven was talking about it though, Wallace could then recall hearing the news about resurrecting Pokémon from fossils, but because it was a ritzy Devon project, it was mostly dismissed as outlandish tabloids for an obscure doomed to fail project that was only written to stir hype for the company. Apparently it was a real thing.

Steven winked, "Well, I _am_ picking up the tab, now, aren't I?"

Wallace quirked his head to the side, but kept his eyes on Steven. He was still wary of the rich heir, but the word _indifferent_ might have been shifting a bit that night.

Dinners like those started to become a regular thing. When Steven didn't have business to attend to be it with the League or with Devon and when Wallace didn't have challengers (which was always), they'd go out to dinner, catching up on their mundane lives, some nights ending more civil than others.

A few years later, the conversation looked a little more like this.

"I've decided to start keeping my Aerodactyl at the front of my party, opening my battles with it," Steven said one night, "I think it's a way to help publicize that ancient Pokémon are a real option for trainers to use, while simultaneously giving me something to talk about in the Devon meetings I have to attend, so I have _something_ to report."

"I think that's a grand idea," Wallace said, getting his share of falafels, pita, and baba ganoush settled onto his plate, "but when do I get my Armaldo?"

"Soon," Steven said, this time, snatching up _all_ the dolma from the sampler platter, "but don't you worry yourself with that. I'll bring it to you whenever it's ready. And never mind that for right now. How are things in contest-land?"

"Mostly chill. My niece is begging me to teach her. Winona even gave her a Swablu to raise, because apparently she's desperate to have an Altaria for contests. I'm refusing to do anything with her though until she's at least eighteen. I want her to be legal before she starts getting into the face of fame, if you catch my drift with how the contest scene can be."

"Oh, I've learned to stay away from a certain neighborhood in Lilycove, so I completely understand," Steven replied, knowing all too well how fanatic fans could be, "but that's not too far off now, is it? How old is she?"

"She turns seventeen in just a few months. Which even then, is weird to think about, because we're not all that far apart in age, and seeing her become more of an adult only reminds me of my own age."

"Oh, come now, you could easily pass for a fifteen-year old, what with that beret you're always wearing."

Wallace winced, pursed his lips, and snatched one of the stuffed grape leaves off of Steven's plate. "Says the kid who opts for an amaranth ascot over a tie. Or is it cardinal? I can't tell for sure."

Steven stole a falafel from Wallace's plate, his face trying to portray mild disgust. "I have no idea. We get it, you took like, _one_ art class online before you became a Pokémon trainer."

* * *

_Present Day _

May's fingers furiously tapped Swampert's Pokéball after the Pokémon was revealed in a red light. She only had one thing on her mind, and that was catching Hoopa. She threw her wrist into the air and began the process for mega evolution, and Swampert's body underwent the brilliant transformation.

"Swampert, Muddy Water." she commanded through gritted teeth.

The lines of the Pokémon's description she had received while in Pacifidlog ran through her mind as her Pokémon followed orders, covering the area in a powerful brown wave.

"_Hoopa. Prankster Pokémon. Ghost/Psychic type."_

What had started as one large brown wave had turned into several, as Hoopa was using its hoops to transport parts of the powerful water to change directions, using the move to its advantage to make the waves clash against each other instead of getting hit by the attack.

"_Can transport anything, big or small, through its hoops."_

"Swampert, pin it down with your Hammer Arm."

Swampert trucked through the brown impromptu sea, its massive arms sloshing against the water to carry it across to its opponent.

"_It is said to have transported entire castles and armies in Kalos centuries ago."_

Hoopa was too busy laughing to itself to realize the giant mud puppy Pokémon was upon it, and managed to snag it, bringing it down underneath the fierce waves, channeling its trainer's feelings and ambitions into that one blow.

"Use Waterfall."

Now having the prankster Pokémon in its clutches, Swampert swiftly swam through the currents at great speeds, dragging Hoopa against the corroded earth and under the water.

"_Enjoys observing humans and creating elaborate pranks."_

May decided it was probably weak enough at this point.

"Swampert, that's enough! Now bring it closer to me!"

Swampert obeyed, but didn't lift the Pokémon above the water as it did so.

May readied an Ultra Ball, and when Swampert was close enough, the moment its arm began to lift and revealed a head of purple hair, May hurled her arm, a flash of black and yellow leaving her fingertips.

"_Likes collecting items it deems as valuable."_

The water subsided, the ball shook once, twice, three times, then settled. Hoopa had been caught.

* * *

_3 years ago_

Steven was late to dinner that night.

The glass of oran blossom tea lemonade waiting for him had left a visible ring of condensation on the napkin it sat upon.

"I had them hold off on bringing anything other than pita and hummus out because I didn't know how long you were going to be. And let me tell you, I've practically eaten my weight in pita and hummus."

"Sorry," Steven muttered, quickly shrugging off his suit jacket, "I was caught up in a call at the Pokémon Center, and it lasted longer than I had anticipated."

Wallace was in the middle of flagging down a server when Steven spoke, but what he said still caused him to raise an eyebrow. "In the Pokémon Center? That means you were making a call out of Hoenn?"

"Ah, yeah," Steven admitted, "and that relates to what I'd like to talk to you about tonight. This might be our last dinner for awhile."

Wallace stopped tearing the piece of pita bread in his hands midway through the slice. They had talked about this before, but Wallace didn't actually take him seriously then. "Oh, Arceus, no, you're really-"

"I really am," Steven cut him off, and as the server approached to confirm their orders, he already had his credit card out and ready to press in the server's hand so that Wallace couldn't argue. "I talked to Cynthia again, and I'm going to be going to Sinnoh to study for awhile. I've already purchased a villa and the transaction's been processed."

Shoulders dropping and not trying to hide his sigh whatsoever, Wallace turned his head to the server and said, "Looks like we're ordering two plates of yoghurt and honey mousse tonight."

"Oh, don't be like that," Steven replied, "I'll only be gone for a month or two…three tops."

"Three months?" Wallace cried, "What happens if the League gets a worthy challenger?"

"Wallace…it's been, what, two years since you've had a worthy opponent? The World Championships in Unova weren't enough for me. I'm growing restless. I need to go do something. If someone honestly strong enough comes along _and_ beats you, then you can give me a _call_."

Wallace huffed. "Fine. But who's going to buy me dinner every week?"

* * *

_Present Day_

"Steven, please answer," May muttered to herself, dialing Steven for the fourth time with her Pokénav. It went to voicemail yet again. She was getting worried, because she knew Hoopa was no longer a potential culprit in him not answering his phone. Where could he be?

"Hey, Steven, it's me, May," she said, leaving a message this time, "Please call me back as soon as you can. I caught it. I caught the hoop Pokémon that's been transporting everything. Its name is _Hoopa_. And get this: it's the _prankster _Pokémon. I don't think it's ill willed at all. I think it's just been pranking us this whole time. I really think it was just having fun in the way it knows how. And I caught it! And I have _so much_ to tell you about where it took me before I caught it, too, so…_please_ call me back as soon as you get this message."

There was great relief in knowing Hoopa was now under her control, but Steven not answering was worrisome. He had to be in Hoenn because his Pokénav still rang and it didn't go straight to voicemail…so maybe he was handling things back at Devon? The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. If things were getting heated with his father, he likely wasn't going to answer his phone, It was time to fly to Rustboro.

* * *

_Two Years Ago_

"Remember the girl who gave you the letter in Granite Cave?"

"Of course," Steven quipped, biting the inside of his lip and squinting at his father, "How _Onix_-pected of you."

Joseph gave an honest chuckle. "Oh come on now, give me _some_ credit! The folks around here don't appreciate my puns. But anyway, hear me out. I see great potential in that May girl. I want you to give her a keystone. Think a bracelet will do?"

Steven blinked a few times, immediately speculative. _He_ didn't even have a keystone yet, and he was Devon president's son _and_ Hoenn League Champion! "_Father_…she's still a _novice_…shouldn't we monitor her some more before giving her a keystone?"

"Oh, I think she's been doing just _fine_," Joseph said in a knowing voice, "Check Buzznav."

And so he did.

_GYM LEADER NORMAN DEFEATED BY OWN DAUGHTER_

_May Maple, trainer from Littleroot Town, only started her journey four months ago, and has already earned five badges, the fifth from her father, Norman in Petalberg. She likely could have gotten this far sooner had it not been for a major hiccup with terrorists at Mt. Chimney. May wiped them out single-handedly, preventing them from accomplishing their goals with the volcano, but they managed to escape before authorities could arrive._

_We had the opportunity to battle her on Route 118, and we have to say, we were blown out of the water. Even if we had stood a chance, the way she moves with and commands her Pokémon is breathtaking, and we were absolutely captivated the entire time. If you ever have the chance to battle with her or even just spectate, we can guarantee that it's certainly worth your time._

_Now_ Steven was interested.

"So…why don't you take some time getting to know her?" Joseph asked, possibly with further implications. "She could turn out to be a great _resource_ for us."

* * *

_Present Day_

If Steven wasn't going to answer, May thought she might as well call others to give them updates on catching Hoopa while she flew to Rustboro. She started dialing her father, but the Buzznav app was sending push notifications to her Pokénav, indicating an urgent broadcast

_SOOTOPOLIS GYM EXPLOSION: FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED_

_At 10:43AM, Sootopolitans reported devastating explosions from the Sootopolis Gym. EMTs were called to the site immediately to look for civilians. Much of the building's foundation was destroyed and officials are already estimating damage costs to be exponential. No casualties have been reported so far, but fourteen (14) have been hospitalized at this time. Among those fourteen is Wallace Zabat, Sootopolis' Gym Leader, with several second (2__nd__) degree burns and minor head trauma caused by the impact of the explosions. Due to the severity and strength of the explosions, identifying this as a terrorist attack has not yet been out-ruled. So far no gym trainers have reported of knowing anyone who would have Sootopolis or Wallace Zabat as a target. If anyone has any knowledge or leads, they are asked to contact lead investigator, Looker Griffith, with information. This is an ongoing story and we will continue to report as information comes in._

"_Wallace_, holy _shit_," May barely whispered, this turn of events hitching her breath. "I should go to Sootopolis to see him," she said to Latias, deciding to change their course of direction, "Steven and Wallace are close. There's no way something like this would happen and he wouldn't come to support him if he could."

Latias made a sharp turn, the wind lightly burning May's cheeks, and they were Sootopolis bound, May's brain whirling with what, or who, could have and would have done such a thing, and speculations only made her stomach feel heavy.

The land where the gym used to be was in shambles. The only recognizable remains were the pillars that once held the structure of the building, but even they were charred and worse for wear, sprawled out over the rubble of what used to be Wallace's place of work. Latias lowered just enough in front of the Pokémon Center for May to dismount, and she thanked her Pokémon with a quick nuzzle before dashing inside.

The Pokémon Center was chaos. They must have called in extra nurses to take care of patients from the attack. As soon as May entered the building, the Center being swamped with reporters also became an apparent concern, and she had little time to react before they swarmed around her.

"Champion May! Are you here to make a statement about the terrorist attack on Sootopolis Gym?"

"Champion May! What actions will you and the League be taking to handle Hoenn's terrorist situation?"

"Champion May, do you think it's possible that the explosions are related to other phenomena that have been happening in Hoenn recently, like the disappearing islands?"

"Champion May!"

"Champion May, you and ex-Champion Steven have been inaccessible from the public eye for quite some time now. Is there something bigger looming that Hoenn should know about to prepare?"

"Champion May!"

It was nuts. May took a deep breath and prepared to stand her ground. She was surrounded by reporters, all pressing for answers, and May's eyes franticly searched just past them, looking for any way to get by or a reason to peel them off so she could go see Wallace. That was all she wanted.

"Do I look like I came here for an interview?" she spat, readying a Pokéball, "Wallace and I are _friends_. Am I unable to visit a friend when he's been injured, _attacked_ even? Of course we want to tackle all of those issues, but our basic humanity comes first. I'm here to see _Wallace_." She leered at another camera crew from a different direction, and repeated herself again, slowly, "I'm here to see _Wallace_."

The paparazzi of Hoenn were rude, but they weren't heartless. Most of their reporters turned to their cameramen to recite their own closing recaps of how they interpreted May's words. She knew she was still being recorded as she briskly walked off and was probably getting butchered, but she really didn't care anymore had she at all to begin with. The more time that passed by, the more worried she grew over Wallace. She received permissions to enter the back hallways where patients were being held and was directed to where she could find him.

"May!" The voice was weak, but still excited. May hardly recognized the man in bed when her eyes first met him, but there was no mistaking that turquoise hair on anyone other than him or his niece, albeit for just the few locks spilling out from under all the head bandages.

Her lip quivered as she approached. "Wallace…I came as soon as I saw the story on Buzznav." Wallace hardly went anywhere not dressed to the nines, so seeing him in anything less was a shock, let alone severely injured. The top of his head was wrapped pretty well, and his face was covered in bruises and bandages. His arms sat on top of the blanket that covered most of his body, but of what she could see, it was just more gauze and deeply colored bruises. She tried to not wince after taking it in, and despite his condition, he still managed to offer her a warm smile.

"Why are you awake? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"They deemed my head injuries too serious to give me any medications, despite my whole damn body being in pain. Can't someone like me get some codeine if he practically gets blown up in his own gym? What's the world coming to…"

"Wallace, you know they can't give you codeine if you've got head injuries…" May said in a teasing tone back, glad to see that Wallace was still at least acting like himself. "But other than that, how are you doing…you know…"

"Mentally?" he finished for her, knowing what she was trying to say, "pretty shaken up, but I can't let the doctors know that. I already know they're going to want to do a psych eval with me because it was an obviously traumatic experience, but this…" he cast his eyes back over his body, "May, go close the door."

She knit her eyebrows, but she followed his instructions before sitting down again beside him.

"May, you need to find Steven, and stop him. I think you can get through to him."

May's eyebrows pressed tighter together. Her voice became an unsure whisper. "Wallace…what are you talking about…"

Wallace's voice was low, soft, frustrated. "I saw him, May, if only for a moment, but I think he wanted me to see him, as I don't think anyone else did. But he was in the air, floating, surrounded by…purple, think, like a ghost Pokémon, or a psychic Pokémon."

Well that was impossible. May cautiously asked, "Wallace, are you sure…you don't need a doctor right now…?"

His tone became urgent. "Do _not_ give me that right now. May. I need you to listen to me. I need _you_ to listen to me. If anyone else hears about this, or saw what I saw, it would be a disaster, well, more of a disaster than it already is. There's obviously some…_energy_ about him, like he's not totally in control."

"Well thank goodness for at least that," May muttered, "but why would he, or whatever is using him, would come attack you?"

"We can only theorize," Wallace muttered back, "but I wonder if it has something to do with our closeness, that he, or it, came for me because it acknowledged our relationship. Other than that, I hold no larger purpose aside from carrying on Sootopolis culture and working for the League."

"If that's the case," May immediately thought to ask, "what makes you think I can stop him?"

Wallace tried rolling his head around to test out his neck. He only got about a quarter through before wincing. "You can't honestly ask me that question. Think about it. I'm out of commission, his parents are out of the picture, so who's left?"

May tucked her head into her shoulders and weakly replied, "…Cynthia?"

Wallace tsked and sighed. "Don't give me _that_, either."

There was a brisk knocking at the door, resulting in Wallace rolling his eyes assuming it was a nurse. May jerked herself to sit upright in her chair so it didn't seem like anything fishy was going on to whoever was about to enter the room, but felt a moment's solace as the person who showed themselves into the room wasn't a nurse, but Gym Leader Winona.

"You…big idiot!" she snarled, but as soon as her eyes met Wallace's, her face softened. "…Lisia's worried sick, you know, but she insisted I come back here, first." She glanced toward May. "They only let _two_ people visit at a time, you know."

May flushed, not wanting to get in the middle of this. "Sorry, we were just about done, anyway," May quickly said, gathering her bearings before rising from her seat, but Wallace gently grabbed her wrist as she tried to start walking, just long enough for her to know that he didn't want her to leave just yet.

"May, it's alright…" he said in a low voice, "Winona here is just reminding me that I've got people who _care_ about me if something _were_ to happen."

"Something _did_ happen, you big loaf!" Winona practically spat, using a demeanor May never thought she'd see on the cool and collected gym leader. She crossed her arms and turned on her heel so that she looked at Wallace from over her shoulder in a scoff. "And I swear to all that is dragon-types, if what happened to you and your gym has anything to do with those plates you've all been collecting…"

"So what if it does?" Wallace countered, although in his attempt to be aggressive, the strain it took for him to speak that way became apparent. "Why should you give a Rattata's ass about what happens to _me_ thanks to the decisions that _I_ make? It was _my_ gym that got blown up, not _yours_. Arceus, _why_ again is it that I can't get some codeine?"

"I…think I should get going," May quickly said, "Wallace, I'm going to try to find Steven. You think…maybe he's heading to Devon next?"

Winona's eyes narrowed immediately. _"Next?"_

Wallace pressed his eyelids shut and deeply inhaled in a response to the combination of his current situation with Winona and the incessant head pain that would not go away for a long time. "Thank you, May, and thanks for coming to see me. You're a true friend. You always have been."

"And tell Lisia to wait another ten minutes before coming to see her _uncle_." Winona mumbled.

May nodded, and ducked out. That meant Lisia was waiting out in the lobby. May didn't want to waste anymore time trying to track down Steven, but she didn't want to ditch out on Lisia. She was one of her closest friends, and May hadn't even bothered to call her back after the last voicemail she had left for her.

There she was, easy to spot with her turquoise hair, and even for wearing something casual, still stood out from others frequenting the Pokémon Center as she sat on one of the waiting benches. May's heart ached. She needed to visit with her, if just for a moment.

She went ahead and sat next to her. "Hey, Lisia," she muttered sheepishly, realizing how guilty she felt now, the reason she was finally seeing her again being thanks to a tragedy. Her eyes then fell to Lisia's hands, as they were holding a beret almost identical to Wallace's.

When Lisia picked her head up to see who had sat down beside her, despite the smile that suddenly cracked, her eyes were blotchy. "Oh, gosh, May, you came to see Uncle Wally, too?"

May forced herself to smile for Lisia's sake. "Heh, yeah, of course, we're all close, yaknow?" She then motioned to the beret in Lisia's hands. "But…can I ask…what's up with that?"

Lisia forced a hard sniffle as she raised her eyebrows, then looked back down at the beret. "Oh, this? Hah…ah…" it crinkled in her grip, "Had Wallace or I never told you? We wear them for Sootopolis culture festivals. Ours matched and…the big goof…I don't know why he wears his all the time…but he does."

May couldn't help but chuckle at the description. That actually really did sound like Wallace and Lisia. Wallace was so strongly tied to Sootopolis and their culture that normally for anyone else, what Lisia just described would sound really dorky, but because it was Wallace, always wearing some kind of cultural piece regardless of the corresponding outfit really suited him.

"By the way," May replied, remembering the situation at hand, "I know you're pretty desperate to see him but…Winona said to give her and Uncle Wally…ten or so minutes to talk before you going in there to join them…"

Lisia gave a dramatic groan. "I figured as much." She took the beret and fitted it on her head. "She's so stubborn with him, and I don't quite get why she's so harsh, but it definitely makes for a good laugh. Somebody's got to be serious with him."

Maybe this was May's chance to figure out a little more information about Wallace and Winona's history.

"So I take it you know Winona pretty well?" May decided to ask.

"Oh, we're actually pretty close," Lisia replied, "Who do you think helped me raise Ali? Ali is actually Winona's Altaria's son! I don't know if friend is quite the word to describe us…but Winona's always just kind of been there for me, if that makes sense."

May chewed on that thought for a bit. The more she thought about it, she realized she didn't know Winona as well as she thought, but as much as Lisia talked, she never brought up Winona much before now. That probably had more to do with Winona not having anything to do with the contest circuit, though, than anything. Either way, Winona always seemed like an aloof hardass, so the descriptions fit.

She heard Lisia draw in a quick gasp. "But…wait just a second!" May jerked her head to look back at her friend again at her sudden outburst. "May…what the hell has been going on with you and your life? Where…where is Steven? You two have been like…_together_. TOGETHER. Where is he? He and Uncle Wally are like…bff's…where is he?"

May gulped.

"Ah, yeah…about that…" May started, trying to figure out where to begin. The guilt washed over her yet again. She had no clue where to start, and Lisia likely knew so little about what was going on with the Hoenn region in general, so how did she even breach the subject?

"I mean," Lisia cut her off as her thoughts went wild, "Uncle Wally has told me bits and pieces, and I know it's mostly business, but like…what I care about most is…are you okay? How do _you_ feel about all of this?"

That was unexpected.

How did May feel about all of this? Was Lisia inadvertently asking her to reflect? How much did she know? Exactly _what_ had Wallace told her? Even _that_ description that Lisia just provided was still fairly ambiguous.

"I'm…okay, I think," May started, now allowing her to process her feelings. Thank Arceus for Lisia, being the only friend she really had to prodded into these things, knowing May needed it. "Lisia, I, I _really_ like Steven…"

"Uhuh…"

"Like, I really _really_ like him…"

"_Yeah_…" Lisia's voice knowingly pressed.

"I don't think either of us really know how to function around each other outside of a crisis. So we figure out all this drama going on with Hoenn, and then what? He disappears to Kalos again? I bum it at the Battle Resort chumming it up with ex-eco-terrorists and the boy next door to try to forget that he's gone? He writes me letters and sends me postcards but never picks up the phone or gives any indication if or when he's coming back?" She realized she was rambling blatant hypotheticals, but as her fears left her lips, she became self-conscious as to how Lisia interpreted them.

"Then you deal with that _then_," Lisia replied, "Enjoy what you have _now_, right?" May looked to see Lisia giving her a smirk that could only mean "duh." "Have your fun now, and tackle your goofy what-if's later, that's what I think. And besides, you really think Uncle Wally is going to let Steven disappear again? He was pretty pissed at him too for just up and going off like that as well."

May giggled. Lisia had given such a typically "Lisia" response, but at the same time, she was absolutely right. And it reminded her that she needed to focus on the situation at hand. If Wallace had been right, and Steven was headed towards Devon's headquarters, there was no way she'd be able to beat him there assuming he'd left after what had happened to Wallace's gym. For now, she needed to keep an eye on the Buzznav app, and start brainstorming where Steven would head after hitting up Devon.

May toyed with the idea of sharing what Wallace had told her with Lisia.

"Lisia…Wallace, I mean, Uncle Wally…" May whispered, shooting down her original idea of sharing what Wallace had said, and swapped it for something a little more situationally appropriate, "You're really lucky to have someone like him as your uncle, as a relative. He's a really great guy, and honestly, I'm kind of jealous."

Lisia giggled back. "He's really more of brother to me, but you probably already knew that. The age gap between us and between him and my mom really made calling him my "uncle" kind of weird at first, but to me anyway, it turned into a goofy definition of our relationship, if that makes sense."

May nodded. "It definitely does."

She was going to keep talking, but there was a hand on her shoulder that grabbed her attention. When she turned to look, it wasn't the _last_ person she expected to see, but also not the first.

"Sorry, Lisia, I should probably get going," May said to excuse herself, "but I'm glad we ran into each other. After I get all of this…_ish_…settled, we're going on a date. Let's go watch some contests in Slateport and do some shopping soon."

Lisia smiled in understanding, "I'd really like that." She used a fist to jokingly punch her shoulder, "and don't be a stranger! None of this keeping me out of the loop and I have to find out everything about you through Uncle Wally business anymore!"

May stood up and followed the Sinnoh champion who had pulled her attention earlier to the other side of the Pokémon Center lobby.

"Sorry if I interrupted anything," Cynthia said, but the sympathy was only halfway there, "but we need to talk."

"I guess it's good to see you, too," May replied, the words coming out almost naturally more than they did in spite of the way she was greeted, "Are you here to give your speculations as well?"

"Depends," Cynthia replied, "What are you already speculating?"

May's gut lurched. It wasn't her speculations, it was Wallace's, but even so, Wallace was hardly ever wrong about anything like this. "That Steven did this somehow, and that prison bottle he picked up somehow gave him the power to do this."

Cynthia grimaced. "If that's what's going on here," she whispered, "then I blame myself. I'm the one who told him to use the prison bottle should he find himself in a dire situation. Of course it's after that, that I dig up information that the prison bottle should only be handled when the conscience is clear. If the individual is holding any feelings of remorse, anger, contempt, the prison bottle releases an energy, a spirit, that possesses the corrupt vessel and uses it at will."

Not a lot fazed May anymore, but that was pretty striking.

If things were piecing together the way she thought they were…

Steven had found himself in a situation that he must have deemed dire. During this situation, he was feeling, to put it in simple terms, not good. So Steven likely thought he had no options, and he was feeling strongly enough to use the prison bottle, which apparently…took advantage of him.

"Did you come here to see Wallace?" May asked in a small voice.

"Partly," Cynthia replied. "I was still in Hoenn, so when I heard about what happened, I had to come back here. That being said…" her voice dipped in a slight drawl, though her tone did not ever drop the seriousness of the situation, "What is your plan now? You've seen Wallace, Steven is out there somewhere, and you've got the Azure Flute. What will you do?"

May's throat grew tight. Those were pointed questions. "Of course I'm going to try to find him," she whispered, "this is my responsibility now. No one else can get hurt." The whole concept of what happened was…scary. Steven targeted Wallace's gym. But it was still Steven…hopefully.

* * *

_1 year and 3 months ago_

"What will it be _today_, father?" Steven snided, being the first words he said as he walked into his father's office.

"Good to see you, too! Listen, I need you for another assignment regarding May Maple. Are you familiar with the stone "Swampertite?"

"Familiar with it?" Steven practically blurted, "Swampertite is one of my favorite coveted stones of all time! They're incredibly rare, though, so coming across one would be extraordinary, of course."

Joseph couldn't help but smile as he reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled out a parcel wrapped in a white satin-looking strip of fabric.

As it was unwrapped, Steven's eyes went wide. "Father, I…" he started, but he was quickly cut off.

"I need you to give this to May Maple," Joseph said, his hands laid out to the sides of the stone as if showcasing it. "We need assurance that she's mega-evolving her Pokémon, and if she has the means to mega evolve her starter Pokémon, the partner she likely has the strongest bond with, then we can probably count on it happening."

Steven's gut twisted, but he tried to not feel surprised. His father asking him to do this should not have been shocking considering similar situations in the past, fossils he'd found going to research, any notes he took in the field getting put on record, so withholding something like this, practically dangling it in front of him, felt only like a continuation of his part in his father's life. Plus, May was a great trainer, that was for sure, but…his father taking this much interest in her was also unsettling.

"Sure…but…why May?" he asked. "What purpose does her mega-evolving serve?"

Joseph smirked and wrapped the stone back up in the satin cloth. "Research, my boy, of course! May's a fine girl, I'm sure she'll be a great resource to us one day!"

Steven approached the desk, and picked up the wrapped up stone. Having the stone didn't give him the feeling he expected. When he first held his Mettagrossite or Aerodactylite, there was a slight sense of a surge of power. He summed not having the same experience to not himself owning a Swampert. He'd learn to get over May getting the Swampertite from his father. He wouldn't say it was from his father, of course. His father was right about one thing, though. There was no question May was an exceptionally talented individual, and she'd have no trouble mega-evolving her Swampert. He guessed she'd be in Fortree by then, considering how much time had passed since he'd seen her last.

He was still feeling resentment toward his father, though. He snagged a Devon Scope on his way out.

* * *

_Eight Months Ago_

"We need May to be the one to handle the Primal Pokémon."

Steven was livid. Hoenn was a ramshackle of crime and rumors regarding the eco-terrorist attacks abound everywhere, and as Champion of the Hoenn League, he felt it was time to take action himself. But his father felt otherwise.

"May's done enough up until now, it's time for me to step in," Steven countered, his lips pressed tight immediately following his words.

"Why do you doubt her abilities?" Joseph inquired.

Steven ground his teeth. "That's not it at all. I don't doubt her, I'm just tired of seeing her getting mixed up in all of this. It's dangerous, and it's not her job. It's mine."

"Which is why you've been guiding her to do the right thing, Steven. Don't forget your place. You've still been doing your job, just through her.

"I don't like it, okay?" Steven finally opted with. "None of this makes me feel comfortable. Especially because it should be me actively working on what she's been doing."

"Steven, this is the last time I'll say it. If you know what's good for you, you will not actively meddle with these eco-terrorists, and you will guide May to do the work. Am I understood?"

Steven looked up at the wall behind his father so as to not make eye contact, and swallowed hard. Every possible option flew through his mind. When he didn't speak up right away, his father went ahead and spoke again to try to sway his decision-making process.

"Your mother's been healthier these days, you know."

* * *

_Present Day_

"To my understanding, Mr. Stone's been preparing what he wants to say to Norman Maple. We tried to advise him against doing it himself, but he's insisting, so his publicist is in his office with him right now."

"I can't believe…this was under our noses this entire time…"

"You can't tell me you didn't suspect a single thing. Think about it. Think about how powerful mega evolution is. A simple observation would tell you that there'd have to be some kind of catch."

"I realize that, but all this time, I thought infinity energy was powering mega evolution, not the other way around."

"…"

"Wait, don't tell me…"

"…"

"You mean May Maple and her Pokémon have been the power source for the mega evolution of others?"

"…"

"No wonder Shelly and Tabitha left Devon when they did…"

Suddenly, all the lab technicians and researchers fell silent. The young guy who had finally put all the pieces together in his mind assumed it was because of what he had said, but after picking his head up to look around, he realized that was not the case.

He recognized the man being escorted through the room, being taken to the stairs that led to Joseph Stone's office, and one more piece clicked into place when he saw the failed attempt at masking obvious distress that laces his features.

This was the Petalburg Gym Leader, the one that everyone in the building had been preparing for. And based on the silence of the room, there apparently wasn't much preparation beyond, "holy shit he's pissed he must know about May so let Joseph handle it and no one say a word."

Moments after Norman disappeared to the next floor, chatter broke out once more.

"Is Devon going to collapse? Norman works for the League…"

"Doubtful. Why do you think he came to talk first instead of going to Mauville's studio for Buzznav? Devon's where the money comes from, so they pretty much run the League."

"But man, the look on his face. I was scared he was gonna make eye contact with me and have his Vigoroth throw me out the window."

"Still doubtful. It was the opposite of that. He iddn't even have it in him to look around the room or break his eyes away from the path ahead."

"Either way, I hope Joseph knows what he's doing."

"I think he's wrangled himself out of worse."

"That's another way of saying he doesn't learn."

They would've kept bantering, for sure.

There was a sudden blinding flash, just before a muffled roar swallowed all sound prior. That roar was smashed and torn into crazy sound bites by the faintly familiar technical cries of a powerful Pokémon unleashing an attack.

Everyone tried to take cover the best they could as the beam of light continued pouring into the building, destroying all it touched, the building buckling in the fury of its demotion, and a black turmoil of smoke rose to blind the occupants.

The powerful force subsided, and Rustboro was filled with sirens as Devon Headquarters burned, it only being a matter of time before the foundation became too weak to support the upper levels of the building.


	15. Hyperspace Fury

_So the lore goes, the prison bottle was designed to hold the energy of someone who had once desired to take complete control over Hoopa. If this energy is released upon Hoopa, Hoopa becomes Unbound, and its being becomes too powerful and destructive. This insane amount of power has its limitations though as well, and can only sustain itself outside of the bottle for three days._

This is what Cynthia had told May before she left the Pokémon Center in Sootopolis to find Steven. Steven was being possessed by this power that normally took over Hoopa, and there was no telling just what happened to Steven during this takeover or how to break him from it, lest he continue to wreck havoc on Hoenn over the next three days.

She thought back to what Wallace had told her as well when she visited him at the Sootopolis Pokémon Center, that _she could get through to him_. Maybe it was true, maybe there really wasn't anyone else. His dad had been keeping secrets, and Wallace was bedridden. She didn't know how she would get through to him, but she knew she would try.

She just had to find Steven first.

The plan was still to fly to Rustboro, but her Pokénav started beeping. She held her breath when she took it out and saw that it was a push notification for Buzznav.

_THIS JUST IN_

_TERRORIST ATTACK LAUNCHED ON DEVON HEADQUARTERS. RELATED TO SOOTOPOLIS GYM, OR ISOLATED INCIDENT?_

_Forty-two (42) have been rushed to the Rustboro Pokémon Center so far, and EMTs and their Pokémon are still searching through the rubble and remains to find any more survivors. Among those brought in under moderate to severe conditions are President of Devon Joseph Stone, and Petalberg City Gym Leader Norman Maple. Both were knocked unconscious in the attack and are currently undergoing medical evaluation._

_Authorities have not yet out ruled this incident being related to the incident only hours ago in Sootopolis._

-The text was interrupted with a picture of Looker, but it was nearly impossible to see him through all the reporters and microphones being pushed in his face.-

_Detective Looker Griffith has been consulted, but has refused to release any information as of yet-_

May would've kept reading, but her Pokénav switched screens thanks to an incoming call from her mother. She squeezed Latias with her legs. Between Latias gaining speed and her newfound situation with her parents, her eyes stung. She watched as her Pokénav screen flickered to say "1 missed call." She couldn't answer. What would she say? Her mom probably just wanted to make sure that she was okay, but…May also didn't know if she could honestly answer that question, either. She couldn't decide what was more important now; blindly searching for Steven, or making an appearance in Rustboro and visiting her father.

Latias hummed as she felt her owner lay her body flat along her back and neck in a tight hug. They didn't change course. They would go to Rustboro.

She texted her mom back. _Flying. On my way to Rustboro. Call you when I get there_.

May thought it'd been hell when she had gone to the Pokémon Center in Sootopolis earlier that day, but she was about to learn just how brutally different this situation would be.

"Champion May! How are you handling your father's situation?"

"Champion May, can you give us any insight as to why your father was in Devon Headquarters?"

"Champion May, do you have any knowledge of why Devon would be targeted by an attack like this?"

"Champion May, will Steven Stone be joining you here to evaluate the situation involving your fathers, respectively?"

May's stomach lurched and her ears rang. The voices were blending together, or so it seemed. Why were her eyes so hot? Why did she feel so nauseous?

_Nauseous_.

"My dad," the words barely formed under her breath, "I just want to see my dad…"

Questions didn't stop, and reporters kept provoking, even though she gave no obvious signal of acknowledgment. It was like her brain didn't want to give her a reasonable solution to her predicament, so she acted out the only way that came to mind and seemed like the obvious choice at the time. If something were to happen to her, someone would have to get her away from the reporters and to the back of the Pokémon Center where her father was, right?

May slipped off her mega bracelet and, tossing it across the floor through the legs of camera crews, tried to brace herself to become violently ill.

She didn't remember much after that.

* * *

_Five months ago_

"So infinity energy is the only way to stop…and transport the meteor…"

"Ask May to go to Granite Cave and find a meteorite shard. Ideally she'll encounter wild Pokémon while she's there, and use mega evolution to battle them. We'll need her help in harvesting more infinity energy, in addition to her collecting the meteorite shard."

"And…what will you have _me_ do?" Steven replied, having a hunch that there was _something_ for him to be done, but that it was going to be different from May's tasks.

"You can take the Link Cable to the Mossdeep Space Station and let them know that May will be collecting meteorite shards, so that they can begin to make the necessary preparations."

Joseph plainly explained the situation with the meteor to Steven and what their options were. And that May was to do most of the work. He sent Steven on missions as well, but this was mostly to distract him from the fact that May was taking care of the more important pieces, and even more importantly, continually creating infinity energy through mega evolution. Steven didn't have much anymore with which to fight his father. May _was_ champion now, after all, but still, seeing her do all the work irked him.

* * *

_Present Day_

"You were really reckless out there, kid."

May's eyebrows knit. She knew that voice anywhere. She stirred, attempting to take in her surroundings. She was lying down, covered by blankets. When her eyes slowly opened, the first thing she saw was her father sitting in a chair beside the bed she was in. The room was white. The next thing she saw was the IV in her right arm. She tried to not gag at the sight of it, which led her to check her left wrist. Her mega bracelet was back on, but she was still feeling sick.

"It's kind of ironic, but they've got you hooked up to infinity energy to help you recover. Turns out infinity energy is an incomparable means for human healing, and Devon's been using it for years. That being said, what makes it ironic is how infinity energy is created."

Norman noticed that May was still staring at her mega bracelet. Whether she wasn't paying attention to him, or was and was just mentally making the connections, he continued on, "the nurse here saw everything the moment you entered the Pokémon Center, and was able to make the connection when you threw your mega bracelet across the room. When she rushed to take care of you, she made sure to grab your bracelet. Seems like Devon doesn't keep all of its secrets as well kept as they'd like. That, or the healthcare professionals here know about it for the case of an instance just like this."

May took a moment to try to assess herself. She was short of breath, light-headed, and any attempts to take a deep breath resulted in a twinge of nausea. She jerked her head to look at her father. "I...didn't mean for any of this to happen. I just wanted to come and see you, and make sure you're okay."

"And I'm totally fine," Norman said, his lips curving upward on one side at his daughter's complete disregard of herself in exchange for his well-being, "for the most part. I'm a bit shaken up from the explosion, Joseph Stone likewise, so they're wanting to keep us here for awhile just to make sure. So we'll be together for quite a bit longer, since you're not going anywhere, either."

That made May feel like vomiting. "What do you mean I'm not going anywhere," she said, the phrasing a question, but the words coming out in a panicked statement.

Norman chuckled slightly this time, not knowing the reason behind her urgency beyond her constantly being on the move. "May, you really did a number on yourself, and you lost a lot of fluid. Your body needs to rehydrate, and rest."

Did she bring up Steven? She wanted to tell her dad everything, but nothing at the same time. If she explained things to him, would he encourage her to act, or hide? Maybe she needed the advice. Or maybe she'd still keep it to herself for the time being.

Three days. Steven was going to be like this for three days. Unless she figured something out before then.

What if he didn't even make it for those three days? What if this...energy, spirit, whatever, possessing him, decided to destroy him afterward? What if his mortal being got caught in the crossfire of one of these attacks it was likely to launch next?

She had to find him. She had to find a way. She had to get through to him, somehow.

There was a knock at the door to break her from her thoughts.

"I'll get it," Norman said, rising from his chair. "It's probably Joseph Stone. I know he wants to talk to you himself, and it's totally up to you if you want to or not."

May's hands gripped the sheets covering her, an absent-minded act of busying her hands. "I would, but, maybe later?" she replied, "Can you tell him that?"

"Of course," he said, and started to leave the room, "I'll let you get some rest, okay? You need it...and deserve it."

May held her breath, the door to the room hidden by a tiny hallway. When she heard the door open, she quickly piped, "Dad?"

"Yes, May?"

"I love you."

"...I love you, too, May. Sleep tight."

As soon as she heard the door click closed, she grabbed Hoopa's pokéball and let the trickster Pokémon out. It grinned widely at the sight of her.

"Hoopa, can you take me to my secret base on Route 118?"

The Pokémon couldn't have been more delighted at the request.

* * *

Off the IV and in her secret base, May had to convince herself then that she made the right choice, realizing just how worn she was, and making her way to her bed. She fumbled under her covers, allowing herself a deep breath. She looked around; everything was pretty much the same as it had been since the last time she was there. Her eyes fell to Steven's bed, and she immediately picked up on his jacket and backpack still being there. Had the prison bottle possessed him while he was still here? That didn't quite fit the bill, since her secret base was still intact, so he had to have left before that happened…

She needed to concoct a plan, but any thought of where to begin was over-ruled by her exhaustion. Her mind drifted to the last time she was there, equally as exhausted, Steven coaxing her to bed.

Wait, that was right.

She hummed the melody to herself, trying to reach for her bag . She needed to summon Latias. Latias could take her to Latios, and Latios would know where Steven was for sure, at least she assumed. Latias always knew where she was in a pinch, so she figured Latios to Steven was a similar situation.

Her legs were heavy, but she managed to heave them out of bed, adrenaline starting to kick in with her newfound plan. Hoopa looked equally excited at its trainer's energy, and she nuzzled the Pokémon's face to hers before recalling it to its pokéball as she exited her secret base. She noticed the strain on her lungs as she drew breath to play the tune, but the strength of her playing didn't matter in the moments it took for her to hear Latias' cry.

"Latias, thank goodness," May greeted the eon Pokémon, "I need you to take me to Latios. Can you do that?"

Latias nodded and cried emphatically, lowering herself for May to climb on her back, and they took to the sky, but May was only conscious for a moment of it, as her exhaustion knocked her out during the flight.

* * *

Norman was at least grateful they kept various teas and hot water in the Pokémon Center hallway in addition to just coffee and water. He brewed himself a cup of Green Tea, then said, "They sure have come a way with the amenities since I was a trainer. I'm not gonna say our kids have it easy, but it sure is nicer."

Joseph had been sitting nearby but when Norman looked to his side, there he was pouring his 6th cup of coffee. "I'm amazed they're even letting Looker on to this case," Joseph said. "I thought the man himself was still a big ole bundle of unknown and needed to recover. It's a shame they're pestering him like this." The two men were understandably restless, with Joseph's life's work in shambles.

"I get what you mean. But he was supposedly cleared by the International Police Department and wanted to take the job. So he is." Norman tossed the tea bag out and looked at the options for sweeteners. He picked up the bottle of honey and examined the label. "Tch, only 11% real Combee honey. You'd think a Pokémon Center of all places would carry the real stuff!"

Slumping back down into his chair, Joseph sighed. "Maybe it's all for the best," he muttered, "maybe this was the change Hoenn needed."

"You can't be serious," Norman replied, "Hoenn relies on Devon for so much."

"And we were closely partnered with Silph Co, so much that we were thinking of merging. This just…expedites the process a bit. And besides, it's not like everything is really lost. All the research is," he used his hand that wasn't holding his coffee to wildly gesture to the air, "up in the cloud, or whatever. I don't quite get it myself, but regardless of the direction we choose to take, we'll be fine. What I'm more concerned for right now is your daughter…" he took a sip of coffee to break the statement, "and my son."

"Those kids have been to hell and back. They'll be fine," Norman said, despite himself, eyeing Joseph carefully.

"I know, but I mean for each other. I'm shocked he didn't come tumbling in here seconds after she did. He hasn't been this attached to anyone in a long, long time."

"Have you tried calling him?"

"…You and May, you have a good relationship?"

An oddly personal question, but Norman was indeed a father and immediately knew what he meant by it. "I'd like to think so. I wish she called more, but I really wish she'd call her mother more. But she visits without us asking and I think that's really all we can hope for as parents."

* * *

When May came to, she was wrapped up in the side of her Latias, clearly being held there for comfort until she woke up. It took her brain awhile to remember what was going on, and looking around only complicated that. They were surrounded by beautiful foliage, and to her right were the sounds of rushing water, a small waterfall.

They were on Southern Island. It was only moments after she awoke that Latios came into her vision. And he cried. And cried. He flew up to May to nuzzle her, and cried again to her.

"Latios," May said, reaching her hands to the sides of Latios' face, "please, I need you to calm down. What's wrong?"

The Pokémon only looked back at her with sad eyes and suddenly, May knew.

"You don't know where Steven is." When she said it out loud, that only proved it to be true. "Latias brought me to you because I hoped you could lead us to him, but…"

She didn't need to keep talking. It was understood.

What was more understood in an instant was the explosion heard in the distance, somewhere off the island. May felt her bangs sticking to her forehead. When had that happened? Everything was happening so fast. She'd just woken up. She'd just woken up and realized where she was and remembered how exhausted she was and suddenly there was that feeling again despite her bracelet being on her wrist,

Nausea.

She was running out of time. She had no plan. Latios was spooked and Latias was no doubt going to catch on in an instant. Steven was going to find them and she had no plan.

"I guess the bright side of being out here is that we're away from other people and Pokémon," May whispered under her breath, not particularly to anyone.

The newest Pokéball on her belt started to twitch. May was nearly exhausted to the point of delusion, but she could sense something wrong in a heartbeat. She let the restless Pokémon out. It knew, or felt, something.

"Tell me what's going on," she instructed. She knew to be patient with Pokémon, and if her premonition was correct, Hoopa had explaining it wanted to do.

_Trick._ The word became present in May's mind. Okay. Hoopa was the trickster Pokémon, that much made sense. Hoopa was also a psychic type, able to give her a topic but likely not complete thoughts. She nodded and repeated aloud so it knew she understood, "Trick."

The Pokémon pointed to itself, then made a jovial expression that looked like laughing. May said what she thought of first, "you…fun? You like fun?"

Hoopa shrugged. Her guess must have been good enough. It continued. It pointed to where the explosion came from, then pouted and made crying motions with its hands near its eyes. May guessed again, "Prison bottle…not fun?"

Hoopa splayed its arms out in anticipation for her, which didn't last long.

She figured it out.

"You…like _fun_ tricks…and the spirit from the prison bottle likes…_bad_ tricks…" she said out loud for confirmation from the Pokémon, who in an instant clapped its hands and spun around that she had guessed correctly.

Shifting islands around…_fun_ trick.

Tricking Steven into releasing the spirit…_bad_ trick.

Keeping Steven from leaving May's side…_fun_ trick.

Blowing up the Sootopolis Gym and Devon's headquarters…_really bad_ trick.

"This is at least…_some_…insight…" May muttered, "but I still don't…know what to do."

The Eon Pokémon's cries shrilled through the air. Hoopa voluntarily returned to its Pokéball. May felt the air shift all around her as she pivoted to see behind her, but she regretted it once she did.

She didn't know what it was making it so hard to breath but the sight of him of the way he was wasn't helping.

He was still human, sure, but the way he looked certainly wasn't. His body floated in the air, his own current stirring about him tossling his hair and the loose fabric of what was left of his dress shirt, ethereal.

May's brain went blank on everything she had learned from the situation because it was just too unreal. Was this Steven from a different universe?

"Not quite what you're thinking, dearie," Steven's voice sang. He could get into her thoughts? Yeah, it was his voice all right, but not in a way that he would ever say. "Now, what have we got here…" It was dripping with something between contempt and amusement.

May was going to proceed in the only way she knew how. "Steven," her voice came out unsure, but she tried anyway, "listen, I know you're in there, and we can stop all of this, alright?" She almost wanted to grimace at how corny the words came out, but it was all she could think of. "What's going on?"

"Oh, he's in here, all right," Steven's voice replied, "and it's been a wild ride so far, that's for sure. But stop all of this? Why in the world would I want to do that?"

Just a gulp, nothing more. "Because you're not yourself, Steven." _Let's try raising a hand to him?_ "Come on, I know you've…_been_ to a few places like this, but, let's just _talk_, okay?"

A flicker of dejection. "So, you've heard about all of that, huh?"

_Come on, Steven, you know how news works here in Hoenn_. She nodded carefully. "Yeah. But it's okay. Just talk to me. What's going on?"

Her arm had remained outstretched, her breath steady but shallow, his eyes studying her every second that passed by. He lowered to her. Her breaths got lost somewhere as he neared. She wasn't thinking enough to make the comparison of his hand being as cold as steel, no, it was frigid, not what she remembered.

His hand had started to warm from the seconds of contact and her breathing eased but on her next breath, her shoulder was hit with a crack of pain from her arm being jerked, first toward Steven, then up above her head, the force so strong sending her whirling into the air.

Latias screeched and went after its master. Steven's arm flung to the side and both Eon Pokémon were sent away in hoops. May could only tell what happened by the sudden vanish of their cries.

Her voice was ready to shriek as her body began to plummet from being thrown into the air, but she never plummeted. It felt like…she was on clouds.

"Cantata!" May softly exclaimed into her Altaria's cotton wings, hugging her body into its warmth and fluff. The dragon Pokémon sang for its trainer, gently lowering her to the ground once more.

Though her face was buried, she heard a scoff from below. "Tch. Just my luck that your Pokémon are so in tune to your situation. I should have known better."

The singing disappeared. Altaria was suddenly gone, taken in a hoop. May fell the ten feet to the ground on her face.

"I wasn't going to let you fall that entire way, either, you know," his voice came out. Face in the dirt, May racked her brain for options. _Just keep talking, keep asking questions, he's gotta be in there, right? There's gotta be a way, right?_

She didn't even get the chance to stand on her own terms. Her arm was forced behind her back by her wrist, then wrung up similarly to when she'd been thrown to force her to her feet, but this time her wrist was held above her head, forcing her nearly face to face with Steven.

"Darling, I can hear what you're thinking, remember? So I'll entertain you for awhile, sure, ask me anything."

_Inhale. Exhale. Don't sound shaky._ "What are you doing?"

His grip on her wrist tightened. She tried not to grimace at the twist of skin and pained bone. "That's awfully vague, don't you think? Right now I'm playing with my favorite toy."

He forced her wrist behind her back again, but this time forcing her body onto his. He sneered down at her, the left side of his bottom lip pulled in by a tooth.

"Toy?" she breathed, or tried to, her chest restricted by the pressure from his, "what do you mean? Why me?" She bit the inside of her cheek hard as her wrist was tightened further at her questions. Her other arm was free but she wasn't about to fight. She saw what he could do.

"Isn't it obvious, _May_?" his voice dripped, her skin crawling at the sound of her name, "I like you. Isn't that enough?"

It was really hard to not react to that sort of answer. But who was talking, really? "Steven…" she said his name slowly, something about continuing to say his name seemed right, to get him to listen, and she continued to make sure she spoke slowly, to come across as calm, "_what_ do you like about me?"

Her other arm wasn't free anymore. Her other wrist was grabbed by his other hand and forcefully brought to her back as well, both of her wrists now slipped in the tight grasp of one of his hands held behind her back. Short, shallow breathes. "You're powerful." _Arceus_, his smirk was like a Persian. "Don't you know I like powerful things?"

Her eyes dropped from his eyes to his chest. The top three buttons of his shirt were undone and the fabric was still getting tossled by whatever omnipresent current was going on around him. She sure didn't feel powerful right then.

"Of course you don't, darling," he said, reading her thoughts, "that's the whole point, and that's what makes this so fun."

"Okay, then, so," May spoke, still slowly, careful not to stutter, "you must mean powerful in a different way. I obviously can't take you on physically. What do you mean?"

His free hand came to her chin to force her eyes onto his again. This time she got a real look into them. Those were flecks of purple amongst the light blue of his eyes, what was making him look so strange. "_Now_ you're understanding! You are champion of this region, are you not? Your power is your influence! Your influence over your Pokémon, the League, even criminals in this region; it's astounding! So getting the chance to be with me, someone you have no influence over…well, it's a lot of fun, isn't it?"

Before she could even think of a response, the hand that forced her chin was on her neck, forming a dangerous grip. It was like she knew her predicament could go from 0 to 10 in an instant but she never realized it would actually happen. Flashes of other dangers flooded her mind.

"Oh this is _**thrilling**_," Steven's voice cooed, his grip tight, his breathe hot on her face. She stared back into his eyes, but it wasn't his eyes she saw. She saw herself riding a primal creature into the depths of Arceus knows where. She saw herself riding a dragon into space, straight into a meteor scheduled to destroy the earth. She saw three golems doing all they could to destroy humanity. She saw total uncertainty and was completely immersed in it.

One of her Pokéballs rustled on her belt, and Mina, her Delcatty appeared at their feet, immediately concerned for its trainer. She mewled, jumping up onto her legs, but before she could be there long, she was taken away in a hoop.

"Your Pokémon sure are pesky, aren't they?"

She heard the mewling, and the words, but the scenes were still playing out. The restrictions on her ability to move or breathe only forced the trauma to intensify.

Then the grip on her wrists and throat slacked.

Her pupils dilated. Deoxys was gone, and it was Steven in front of her again, just like he had been moments before. She saw the eyes she knew again, for two seconds, before they were filled with flecks of purple once more.

Steven completely let go of her now and pushed himself back. May nearly fell from the lack of support, her legs hardly able to keep her up after everything she'd been to after her already weakened state. But Steven also hardly noticed. He was reviewing his own hands, holding them out before himself.

A purple glow grew around his hands, and he lifted his head once more to study May again. She could not recognize his voice at all. "Oh, yes, you are powerful _indeed_, more powerful than I thought."

The back of May's hand involuntarily came to wipe the side of her face. She'd been physically injured after just getting off the IV. She just woke up from a barrage of flashbacks. Three of her Pokémon had been thrown away to Arceus knows where.

_Arceus._

"Now, let's try this again, shall we?"

The implications of what he said told her to step back and away, but her feet didn't move.

"And this time, the way you look at me isn't going to stop me, now that I know it."

She found the air to speak somehow. "What are you getting out of this?"

This time it was just a hand on her throat, but it was firm, and it lifted her until her feet no longer touched the ground. She tried to gasp but her windpipes wouldn't allow that much exertion.

"Do you know how long I've been holed up in that bottle? How many tyrants like yourself I've seen throughout my existence? You're no different than the rest of them."

It took all her energy to say anything more than a strained whisper. "_Steven_…please, _please_, it's me, it's May!"

"Oh, quit it with your little heroine bit already," Steven's voice sneered, his hand's grip tightening. May's throat strained for another breath as his fingers pressed deeper into her neck, and her vision became clouded. Steven's body was gaining a purple aura around himself, or it was equally likely that it was all in May's head, as she was rapidly losing oxygen. "I'm getting pretty sick of you acting so familiar with me, but part of me finds it intriguing." May tried desperately for a gasp at air, only resulting in an increased pain in her temples, and looking straight ahead was getting spotty.

"Tell me, _May_," Steven's voice seethed, his voice taking a deeper, grittier tone, "I'm sensing something very powerful about your feelings. Just what is it that's keeping you from dismissing this vessel I have?"

"V-vessel?" May managed to cough the word, as Steven's hand's grip had allowed her the slightest slack, but still hadn't let up on his trapping of her neck. So he was going to toy with her, play these mind games, and then what? That was all May could manage to think before she struggled to articulate an answer with what brain power she had left. Is this what the plates were for? They had been trying their best to avoid this, but this is exactly what Cynthia had warned them about. "S-steven…"

"Yes, keep calling out for my vessel. It's clear to me that inside he's pained, disturbed even to see you like this, so please, keep saying his name. It's only entertainment for me."

Her voice could barely come out. "Steven, I know you're in there."

The grip slacked for a moment for the second time, Steven's eyes ridding themselves of their traces of purple, pupils dilating, before snapping back to how they were prior, followed by a sneer. Eyes crazed, he grinned wide and shook his head. "Man, he's really fighting with me to come out and see you. He thinks he can save you. What a _fool_ he is! What good is it to have as much power as he does and not use it to get whatever you want? Any object, person, or business he wanted, he could have at his immediate beck and call with a flash of his status and power."

May tried to force a smile, because she knew it was the right thing to do. "Steven, I know you don't mean to say things like that to me. Battle me," she wheezed, using all her might to speak, "let's decide this with a battle."

Steven's eyebrow rose, "I've dismissed half of your Pokémon. Why should I entertain a request like that?"

Gasping in response, May was given just enough slack on her neck in order to be able to breath at least a little better. She was still dizzy. "You're obviously strong," she breathed, "so proving that within certain limitations should be no issue, right?"

The grip on her neck loosened just a hair more, the only reason May noticing it due to her ability to stay conscious at this point totally dependent on how much oxygen was able to reach her brain. But she could see him contemplating the proposal.

May didn't have enough time or brain power to register the correlation of the release of her throat because of her complete collapse to the ground. _Holy shit. Latias, Mina, Cantata, they've all vanished. He took them somewhere._

"And they're all fine," Steven's voice rang, "I have no intention of harming Pokémon, at least not on purpose. If they're collateral damage on a heist, well, that's a different story. Well, I've also got another particular exception to that rule."

It was almost on cue. Hoopa forced its way out of its Pokéball to make its presence known. Steven's body scoffed.

"Ah! Well if it isn't my old vessel! Fancy seeing you here! Oh, that's right, I should probably let you know," Steven's voice paused as his eyes looked down at his body, his hands outreached and open-palmed, "I used your encounter to my advantage."

Hoopa tensed, May took notice to her new Pokémon's reaction, and Steven's eyes flickered.

"Yes, that's right," he continued, "Hoopa tried to confront Steven, but he, recognizing the colors and patterns from my bottle, was ready to take his frustration out on the poor Pokémon. So I spoke up. The little guy can move islands, so how strange would it be for it to use telepathy with a human? Not strange at all. So, I egged Steven on, and he released me. And Hoopa, not wanting to be possessed again, naturally, vanished. Leaving me to take over Steven instead. And boy, has it been a riot, let me tell you!" Steven's tongue licked over his lips before he continued, "Wrecking havoc on everything he cares about! And now…I get to use him to play with his favorite toy…"

May automatically flinched, and Hoopa took an offensive stance.

Steven's chest lifted when his body chuckled. "Adorable! Hoopa, you think you're going to protect this human? You couldn't stop me from possessing you before, or this vessel now, so what makes you think you can stop me this time?"

May felt a twinge of guilt for her new Pokémon when her eyes readjusted. Hoopa was shaking. Still floating in its offensive stance between herself and Steven's body, but shaking.

Whatever had happened before to this Hoopa with this spirit had to have been _bad_.

And she could tell things were about to get _really_ bad for them right now if she didn't think of something _fast_.

Hoopa was tentatively readying an attack.

"Hoopa, if fighting this is too much for you, then come back to your Pokéball!" She called out to her new partner, "It's not worth seeing you so terrified! I want to be a good trainer to you!"

The prankster Pokémon gave pause, and May saw its tentative look back at her. She already knew it. Hoopa was no match. There was no sense in it trying. When May said she wanted to battle, she meant Pokémon, but was now grateful Steven didn't interpret it that way so that he wasn't trying to use his Pokémon right now, and she definitely didn't want to send her remaining Pokémon out against this beast. It had just seemed like the right thing to say. Battling was how she got any of her "power" in Hoenn. She really was powerful, but right now…she'd exhausted all her options.

It was time.

She attempted a weak smile to Hoopa as she went into her fanny pack. "Alright, lungs, you can do this," she muttered to herself.

Hoopa sent a horrified look back at her, but knew what to do regardless, and tried to send an attack out to Steven.

May pressed her mouth to the lip of the flute, and it only put out eerie, otherworldly echoing sounds. She pulled it away from herself to look at the odd instrument, heart dropping an inch a second, agonizing what she did wrong.

Until the sky was filled with light, Hoopa and Steven quelled their fighting and were unable to move, and the mystical beast she'd only seen in picture books growing up appeared on the island.

If she hadn't been so determined to do what she had to do, she would have fainted. The flute fell from her hands and her knees crashed to the ground, her hands thrown together in pleading. This was it. This was the moment. The seers back in Olivine would have dubbed her a saint.

"The Original One!" May spoke in rushed reverence, "please offer me your guidance."

The alpha Pokémon continued to communicate to her telepathically.

"You must understand that bringing me here comes at a price."

"I understand."

"Sound. What is it that you wish?"

"I wish for Steven and his loved ones to be of good body, mind, and spirit."

"You must understand that these are temporary resolves and not permanent fixtures."

"I understand."

"Sound. You must understand that the nature of your wish requires your contact with the Three of Spirit."

That one took a second, needing to remember what that meant. It was terrible. But it was the only option. It was the best option. It was that, or death. This might be worse than death for her, but it was better than risking the lives of so, so many others, and saving Steven as well. There was no knowing.

"I understand."

"Then it is done. But first. May Maple, you must know, that you have done your region very well, and have been a friend to all, human and especially Pokémon alike. Rest easy knowing that your Pokémon will all be safe and are under my watch. And should we see each other again, that you are my friend as well."

It all happened so fast.

She lied to her father to take this path.

She never let her mother know that she was okay.

She was friends with god now.

The island was flooded in white.


	16. Destiny Bond

When the final chapter becomes an accidental continued side-plot! YUP SORRY IT'S STILL NOT OVER or abandoned, for that matter. Let me know what you think!

* * *

She scooted to a sitting position. May had just woken up for the day, and figured out pretty easily where she probably was. The bed she was in was fairly comfortable, but certainly not her own. The sheets felt like paper. The walls were white, but not a warm white. The air was thin, enough that she could probably tell if a ghost Pokémon was there with her, of which there were none. Her ears easily picked up on the faint sound of beeps, sloshes, wheels carting around food trays and IVs. Was she an inpatient? She couldn't remember how she got there, but by just sitting there she could understand the potential reason for her admittance. She felt empty, worthless, _dead_ inside. It was as though pieces of her were taken, but there was no way of knowing if there was any hope of bringing them back, or finding purpose again.

It was complete apathy for everything, and at the same time she knew it wasn't right, but she didn't know if she cared that something within herself was so amiss.

A nurse entered the room with a food tray designed to sit over May's lap so she wouldn't have to leave bed, and on the tray was breakfast. "Scrambled Fletchling eggs with Tamato berries and cheese made from Moomoo milk, with a tall glass of Mago juice, just like your mom said!" the nurse cheekily announced as she set the tray in front of May. May only stared at the plate in front of her. It definitely smelled good, but she didn't know if she could bring herself to eat it at the moment.

"May, you've got to at least try having something to eat. Your body needs the nutrients if you're going to make a recovery from everything you've been through."

May scrunched her face in response, and spoke softly, "Yeah, I figured it was something like that, but I can't even remember what it was that I went through, and I don't know if I even care enough to find out."

The nurse smiled at May softly and replied with a quiet voice, "The doctor did say to expect you to feel that way, and for now, that's alright. Things should come back to you in time. But for now, it's the little accomplishments that matter most. If you're feeling up to it, try to have some breakfast, and maybe walk around the room a little."

After the nurse left, May pondered over what was said. Come back in time? She didn't know if she even cared enough to understand the meaning of that. And walk around the room a little? What sounded like such a simple thing to do at first, the more May thought about it, the more she realized how impossible it actually seemed. She looked down at the plate of food again, and used all her might to shovel a bite of her eggs.

Okay, after one bite, she knew that she definitely cared about food. That was a start.

She finished about half the plate of eggs and managed a few sips of the glass of Mago juice, which proved to be less challenging than she originally anticipated. It was just bringing herself to that point that was hard. Her eyes looked over the room. The room was fairly bland, with its off-white walls and drapes that clearly hadn't been changed since the 80s.

Eating took a lot of energy out of her. It was time to accept the sleep that came.

The next few days were similar. The nurse had mentioned something of being impressed with her ability to eat a good portion of the meal the day prior, and she was brought the same thing again, day after day, and day after day May would manage to eat a little more, then tire after eating, and fall back into sleep.

Some nights, a nurse or attendant would have to come into the room and help her back into bed. Her night terrors were coming back, and even though she was suffering, the doctors said that this was progress, because her consciousness was opening up again. After a week of this, she was reintroduced to her Delcatty, and that was the day the doctors marked down as her first sign of true unyielding emotion that was unattached to a night terror.

A few days of this, and she managed to keep her eyes open a little longer than just her meal. She looked around the room.

It couldn't hurt to open those drapes and let the sun in.

May managed to wriggle out of her bed, and slowly stepped to the window. Walking wasn't so bad, either, and neither was pulling the drapes apart. The sunlight was a little much at first, but May's eyes adjusted. These were all steps. Steps she had to push through, but she managed, feeling a strange sense of accomplishment as she forced herself to take a deep breath. She turned around to return to her bed, contented with her day so far, when something instead caught her attention.

On the small table between the two visitors' chairs were a completely red pokéball and a sealed envelope. Had those always been there? She wasn't sure. It was quite possible they'd been there the whole time and she'd just been too tired to notice or too apathetic to care. She'd never seen a pokéball like that before, or if she had, she didn't remember it. And while she felt a twinge of curiosity, walking the room as much as she had was draining her, and she was already ready to call it a day.

The day after that, after an assessment of her current condition, when May finished her meal, she was led out of the room by an attendant to walk the hallway, with help of course. Her nurse and her attendant both told her that she was making great progress and that they were impressed with her, but she still caught the murmurs from those she didn't know about how long it was taking her conditions to improve.

So for a few days, after being led out of the room and up and down the hallway, when she got back to her room, she was far too exhausted to check the pokéball and letter that sat on the table.

It was two full weeks of consciousness before May had enough energy to do anything once she was brought back to the room after making rounds through the hospital's hallways. Being awake and walking were exhausting activities. Finally, after two weeks, she approached the table and sat down in one of the chairs. The chair was stiff, the look of a cushion being deceiving. She was hyper aware of how it felt under her. With caution, she picked up the piece of stationary, almost in wonderment of how the paper felt to her fingers, and she carefully unfolded it. Doing that much actually wasn't so hard to do, but the task in itself seemed daunting for some reason. And the letter was in fact, addressed to her:

"_Dearest May,_

_Seeing you in person at this time would not be ideal for your health. I can only hope that you will read this letter, and through that come to your own conclusions. If forgiveness does not reside within these closing thoughts, I only have understanding of your decision._

_I was finally able to remember what I intended to give you months ago, before any of this happened. If you'll accept it, I still want you to have it. I trust they will teach you the joys of Steel-type Pokémon…but if the connection to me is too strong, then all I ask is that you find someone to be a caring owner. I trust that you will find someone suitable. You were always close to Wally, and he always showed promise as an excellent trainer, so perhaps him?_

_I've come to terms with this letter being my last contact with you. To say that I'd be happy to see you again is a vast understatement, but it seems fate has forced our paths apart._

_I can only hope and pray every day for the remainder of my life that Arceus sees it fit to bless you. At the very least, I feel I have to at least admit how much it pains me to write this letter to you, without enclosing so much more of how I feel, but somehow I can't stop myself from feeling that writing those blandishments would be unfair. Even with that alone, I've said too much. Still…I need you to know that not a day will pass that I don't pray for you to have a swift recovery._

_Arceus Bless"_

Reading _that_? _That_ was what was exhausting. There was a welling feeling behind her eyes, a pain she couldn't stop as her forehead creased and she squinted as if to try to ease the pain coming on from what she read. Why did reading that hurt? Why wasn't the letter signed? What in the ever-living Distortion World had happened to her?

She managed to pick up the pokéball that was set with the letter, curious enough to see what Pokémon it held, and hoping that it would ease the tension between her eyes. The red flash of light revealed a baby Beldum, but this one was silver in color, shiny.

She managed to whisper, _"Something isn't right," _before her body couldn't support her anymore, and she passed out in the chair with both the pokéball and letter clutched in her hands, and her new Beldum left in the cold white room alone.

* * *

_Previously_:

Steven was on his knees. He was winded, exhausted, depraved. Nothing was clear. He remembered everything, yet nothing at all. He tried to see, but what was to be seen? His eyes came into focus. There she was. Tattered, torn, his brain stuttering on the last word in that sequence, his legs somehow carrying him to her, despite not carrying his weight evenly, wobbling, centimeters from falling flat, seconds to learning. Learning the damage, understanding, comprehending what happened to her. She was in his arms.

Her entire neck was covered in the beginning of bruises. Her clothes were torn all over, revealing even more cuts, bruises, scrapes, all signs of the potential of deeper and worse wounds. Flickers of his hands in those places flashed through his sight, those hands once holding the intention of harm and guiltier plans.

His consciousness snapped. Suddenly she was as heavy as bricks, the pressure of her in his arms too much for him to bear. He wanted, neigh, _needed_ to check her pulse and her breathing, but he was too scared to put his hands in those places, _couldn't_ put his hands in those places, too scared to even be near her.

They needed help. _She_ needed help. He reflexively reached for his flute. No, he wasn't wearing his jacket, which meant no flute. No pokéballs. _Panic_.

Unzipped May's fanny pack, grabbed flute, played the tune he taught her over a year ago. No familiar cry, no Eon Pokémon to be seen. Looked through her pokéballs, no Altaria. _Dread_.

Grabbed her Pokénav, because who knew where his was at that point. Thumbed through contacts. Thumb hovered over Wallace's name. He couldn't tap it. He remembered. The smoke and dust that covered the town, the sound of the explosion, the cries of the city, the crashing of building crumbling upon itself, hitting the ground, the shore, the water. The look on Wallace's face when they made eye contact. _Horror_.

The Pokénav slipped from his hands, back into the main pocket of May's pack. He couldn't even tell if she was still _breathing_.

His ears couldn't make sense of the muffled sound of ringing coming from the pocket. Even more he couldn't comprehend the stifled but true "Hello? May? Hello? Did you find him? Where are you? Hello?" coming in rapid succession from the speaker of the Pokénav, now blocked by the fabric of the pocket. His ears rang. His vision was fuzzy. His hands were burning.

He wasn't coherent enough to make anything of the Togekiss and Braviary that came with their trainer to their aid before he lost consciousness.

* * *

_Present Day:_

The next day, shortly after May finished her meal, there was a knock at the door. She expected an attendant as always, someone to lead her around the hospital and help her walk. Instead, she was greeted by a more familiar face.

"Ah," her voice denoted some kind of relief, "Wallace, hey."

His face went from zero to ten when she acknowledged him, and the next thing she knew, his arms were around her neck. "Oh, thank Arceus you remember me!" he wailed, holding her tightly. When he pulled back to look at her, his face was full of sympathy for his sudden behavior, but May didn't fight him.

"Of course I remember you, goofball, you're one of my closest friends," she said, her breath suddenly falling short at how easily the words slipped from her mouth. Where was this coming from?

Wallace's face became even more twisted. "What's this?" he dramatized, "I've been upgraded to _closest friends_? Don't you dare let Lisia know; she'll be _devastated_."

They both chuckled, but the air was uneasy. The room was near silent, just the sound of a ticking clock and occasional murmuring from the hallway. Wallace decided to take a seat, his beret seeming to fall off and into his lap more so than it was his hands removing it from his head. He tried to smile at May, but that face was solemn. May wasn't dumb, at least, not anymore.

Her voice croaked, her eyes naïve. "Wallace…what happened to me?"

His face fell at the reminder. When she'd first arrived, for months, she had no memory or recollection of a lot. She thought she still lived in Olivine, that she didn't have Pokémon of her own yet. Slowly she'd developed at least the will to do everyday things again, but it was still difficult. His eyes then drifted to her wrist. The mega bracelet, it was gone. They must have weaned her off of it.

He tested the waters. "You mean, you don't know?"

"That's the thing…I don't think I can remember…" May replied, her voice denoting defeat, "I don't remember…a lot. Bits and pieces have come back to me, but certain things…no matter how hard I try, I can't remember."

Wallace pressed. "Like…?"

"Okay, like…" May had to strain, ironically, to remember what she couldn't remember. "I can't remember how I met Latias. I can't remember how I learned to mega evolve my Pokémon. I can't remember everything that happened with Team Aqua and Team Magma and the legendary Pokémon. I can't even remember…how I became _Champion_. Like, I _know_ I'm the Champion…but…I can't remember the League, or the battles, or who the _last_ Champion was."

There it was.

Wallace took one of May's hands in his own. "May, I've been visiting you almost every day for a few weeks now. This is the first time…that you've actually remembered who I am."

Her face said it all. "You mean…"

He squeezed her hand and finished her sentence for her. "Yes. You've been coping from severe amnesia, amongst other things. Your emotions and autonomy were dwarfed." However, the look she gave him after that explanation told him that much of those things were no longer true. "How are you feeling?"

She squeezed his hand back. "I'm okay, I think. Mostly." Tears began to pour out of her eyes, but she was still smiling, "The doctors said that this," her smile drew her lips tightly together as she used her other hand to point to the tears on her face, "is probably going to be normal for awhile," she choked out, not understanding her sudden deep emotion. "But Wallace…I'm really glad you're here."

He sighed and nodded back. "I'm glad I'm here, too. Is there anything that I can do for you?"

May used the bottom of her palms to wipe the tears away, and the recent memory struck her. "Yes."

She did her best to turn her body just enough to reach the drawer of her nightstand to the other side of her bed opposite of where Wallace was sitting, and pulled out the Pokéball and letter. She thrusted them toward Wallace. "Will you read this? Do you know who left these for me?"

Wallace became tense. He eyed the objects like they were laced with a foreign substance, but took them in his hands nevertheless. Opposite of she the day prior, he let the Pokémon out first, revealing the shiny Beldum, and May caught glimpse of Wallace holding his breath and biting his lip, eager for him to read the letter.

"Well?"

He recalled the Beldum and folded the letter back up, and his voice was slow. "Who do _you_ think left these for you?"

"I have _no_ idea," she replied, hands balling into fists, grabbing handfuls of the sheets that covered her. "And I feel terrible because it's like I'm supposed to know who wrote this letter and gave me this Pokémon, and I feel like I have _no_ way of knowing. Why didn't they sign it? Do you know who it was?"

Wallace put his hands on his knees and pushed himself up and out of the chair to stand. "Then I suppose…it's a mystery," he said, his words falling flat. He handed the letter and Pokéball back to her, then said, "I've got to get back to the gym now, but I'm glad to see that you're doing better."

May's lips became close to a pout, but she dejectedly took the items from his hands. "Ah, yeah, of course," she said, failing at veiling her disappointment, both with his answer and what appeared to be him leaving because of the question, "but thanks for coming to see me, Wallace."

He gave pause from heading out of the room to turn and smile back at her briefly, then took his leave. Once he was gone, May was stuck with her thoughts. Wallace's answer only made her more uncomfortable.

That conversation took a lot out of her, though, and she needed her rest once again.

Another week went by, and she was ready to leave the hospital. She had working memory of who she was and what her life entailed, and she was physically recovered to go about her own way. Several other friends had come to visit her, but Wallace never came back. She didn't dare ask anyone else about the letter. She somehow felt guilty about it, like it was her dirty secret, after the way Wallace had reacted to it.

She knew pieces were missing, as did her caretakers at the hospital, but they deemed her memory and health good enough for release. She couldn't tell if her friends and family could also tell that pieces were still missing, but it did chew at the back of her brain, like there was some big life secret she didn't know about, and no one was telling her.

But for now, she lied on the couch in the living room of her parents' home, they just happy for her to be healthy and out of the hospital. Even after everything, there was a sense of normalcy in that afternoon. Her mom was in the kitchen doing dishes, occasionally calling out to her with town gossip, while the smell of the tikka masala that was cooking in the crock-pot gradually permeated the air.

"And now everyone knows that Professor Birch is having trouble going to the bathroom, because of the medicines he's on for his broken legs, and everyone from Oldale Town keeps coming over to the lab giving him old wives' tales of advice for his toilet troubles."

May had to bring a hand to her mouth she was laughing so much. Professor Birch was always getting into this or that, so hearing about his shenanigans was always a ride, and this didn't surprise her in the slightest. "I bet all of this is giving his wife and Brendan a run for their money."

"Oh, Brendan's just been up to his eyeballs in tasks and research because of it. Think you'll visit him later?"

"Uh, yeah, probably."

When May got her Pokénav back, the Buzznav app had 168 notifications of important news stories, and the thought of that number was draining. She promised herself that she'd only ready through five articles and not get lost in catching up. Now that she was just relaxing at home, she had time to thumb through a few articles, only skimming them to catch up on current events in Hoenn

_BATTLE RESORT NUMBERS BLEAK; REGULARS LOOK FORWARD TO THE RETURN OF CHAMPION MAY MAPLE_

_SINNOH IN DANGER? DETECTIVE LOOKER DROPS ALL HOENN CASES AND LEAVES ON THE NEXT EASTBOUND SHIP_

_ISLAND CRISIS AVERTED FOR GOOD? WHAT PROFESSORS AND THEORISTS ALIKE HAVE TO SAY_

_LILYCOVE HOSTING A MASSIVE ONE-DAY SWIMWEAR SALE_

_THIS SKITTY WAS GIVEN 5 PECHA BERRIES A DAY FOR A MONTH. THE TRICKS SHE CAN PERFORM NOW WILL SHOCK YOU!_

May then went through her contacts next, looking for any unfamiliar names or any kind of clue, and there was one name that stuck out to her, but she couldn't quite figure out why.

"Hey, mom, who's Joseph Stone?"

There was a pause in the sound of clanking dishes. Then the sound of the garbage disposal. "He _used_ to be the president of the Devon Corporation. Why? Is he in the news?"

She heard the hesitation in her mom's voice. A twist in her gut said to lie. "Uh, yeah, something about him being all washed up now."

"Sounds about right."

_Used to be? Why do I have Joseph Stone's number? That can't be right._

"How much longer till dinner's ready?"

"Oh, maybe two hours? But it could be three, if your father comes home later tonight."

"Alright. I think I'm gonna go pay Brendan a visit. Text me if you need me to run to Oldale for anything."

May never felt right lying to her mother. The fact that that feeling even existed tipped her off that she probably did it too often. She headed up Route 101 toward Oldale Town, and found a secluded area to pull her Pokénav out.

She tried making the phone call. There was an answer almost immediately.

"Well, May, it's not everyday I get a call from you!"

She froze up. That was such a familiar response. She hadn't even planned any kind of conversation or questions to ask, let alone expect someone to respond positively and in a friendly way. She couldn't remember this person…at all.

"Ah, hello, Mr. Stone."

"Nonsense, May, you know you can call me _Joseph_. Now, listen, you've kind of called at a bad time and I'm about to be swamped with meetings, but I'm glad I've got you on the line. I think it's about high time you met my wife. I'll have my assistant get you sorted out with travel arrangements at your earliest convenience, all right? You'll want to go to Lilycove before you leave the region and grab some books on Kalosian culture. Now, you take care!"

_Beep, beep, beep_.

What in the-

May was suddenly hyper aware of every fiber on her body. Especially her socks and shoes. She'd been wearing hospital slippers for so long, the elastic around her ankles felt so strange. She'd needed a nurse to help her with tying her laces, too, just because it had been so long. But it wasn't until that moment that the sensation of it was noticeable.

_Kalos_?

Then there was the weight of her fanny pack, and the way it sat on her hips. It felt so heavy, but also like a part of her that had been missing, and now couldn't imagine being without. The clip that fastened it was on her left, and the pack was on her right, easy access to anything she needed, especially her Pokémon. She unzipped the main pocket, and her hand instinctively retrieved a black and red flute.

Route 101 never changed. She'd walked it so many times, and she'd never forget it. The breeze was always constant and the same. She could hear packs of Poochyena that were hiding in the brush. If she squinted, she could see the outline of Silcoon and Cascoon up in the trees. It was a beautiful scene, but the picture was always the same.

What did she have to lose? What significance was there in meeting Mr. Stone's wife? She hadn't received any other leads from anyone else, though, and the man she spoke to on the phone seemed…like he was an old friend. Or that was how he spoke, anyway. Familiar.

She chewed on the idea as she walked south back to Littleroot.

The conversation with her parents was far less difficult than she thought it would be. She had been just living with them at home for a few weeks, now, so they were actually pretty excited that she was wanting to get out and go somewhere. Of course, she left out the details of the trip being planned for her by the ex-leader of Devon who was probably some has-been corrupt business man. Something or other about a total change of scenery being good for her and just what she probably needed was really the only direction that the conversation needed to go though in order for her parents to be on board with the idea. She hardly had to do anything. Directions and tickets for her travels were all sent to her Pokénav. She just had to pack and get to the ship's boarding on time the following day.

* * *

She was brought to Ambrette Town, the Southwestern most populated area of the Kalos region. Luckily the sign had several translations of the town's slogan, which May read as "Where amber dust dances." The coastline was narrow and met seaside cliffs, immediately reminding her of Olivine City.

She checked her Kalos map once more for good measure. Anistar City was far north and west of Ambrette Town, so it looked like she'd be traveling for a few days. Which was fine. Maybe new scenery _was_ what she needed. A fresh start somewhere unknown, beyond the pointers in Pokémon that Professor Birch insisted upon before she left Littleroot for this trip, including upgrading her Pokédex once more before she left.

What was here in Ambrette? An aquarium, a hotel…and a fossil lab. She suddenly felt uneasy, but she managed to shake it off. There was zero reason the idea of revitalizing Pokémon fossils should be giving her strange gut feelings. That technology had existed for a few years now and wasn't anything new, albeit still sounding completely bizarre to the general public.

Route 9 to the west was a rocky passage…that May was immediately intrigued by, as it had to be traveled on Rhyhorn-back. She'd never heard of that before! And she needed to go east. She wanted to waste no time.

May paid the fee for a Rhyhorn rental, and riding the giant rock Pokémon came far easier to her than expected. What was even more surprising was destroying a spiky rock after her Mawile used Rock Slide in a battle with a wild Pokémon, and finding a water stone in the process.

Route 9 eventually led to Glittering Cave, and May was eager to explore. She dismounted the Rhyhorn, and released her Pikachu to help lead the way with its flash. She was in awe as she followed the narrow mining paths, the walls glimmering and glistening in reply to Pikachu's dim cheek sparks. Pikachu seemed to be enjoying it as well, as it would test and play with the level of electricity it emitted to see the difference reflected in the walls.

But they weren't getting anywhere. A few fossils later, they kept hitting dead ends, and May began to wonder if they'd ever find their way out. She finally saw the silhouette of the first person they'd seen since being in the cave, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Yeah, it was another dead end, but she could finally ask for help and directions. The closer they got, the better she was able to see them, with their huge backpack and clothes fit for someone on a journey. They looked like they were busy mining, too, which meant they were probably familiar with the area.

Pikachu gained a greater bounce in its step, ears twitching and sparks less controlled.

"Excuse me," May half-yelled when she decided she was close enough. She knew to be careful with her voice in caves. Enough to project and be heard by another human, but not too loud as to disturb any resting Pokémon. "I seem to be lost."

The person she called out to froze for a moment at her voice, but stood up before turning around. May quickly summed up her new acquaintance, her teeth quickly going to her lip at the sight of them. He was in his mid-twenties and had an appearance showing he'd been on the road for quite awhile, a look May could pick out now that she remembered her journey, the way his gleaming hair managed to be completely disheveled, clothes that said "yeah I've been here awhile, and before this, been sleeping outside for days with my Pokémon." The moment he turned to see May's face, he was flustered to the point of dropping his pic-axe, the impact sending a "ping" through the cavern's narrow halls, Zubat emerging and flying all about all over the place, and a shiver up May's spine.

He didn't say anything at first. He just looked at her, the light reflected in his pale blue eyes making a full circle a few times as Pikachu continued playing with its sparks, and the sound of the Zubats' cries subsided. May was made uncomfortable under his stare, and threw a hand up in apology. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. We'll be on our way."

"No, no, _I'm_ sorry," he quickly replied, squatting to pick his pic-axe back up, other hand sweeping through his hair. He clearly was thrown out of whatever zone he was in while digging. "I just figured I was in the last place that I'd run into the Hoenn Champion."

May was stunned. Why would someone in Kalos know who she was? "Do I…know you?" she asked, her voice coming across softer than she meant.

He did that strange pause again, just staring, giving May the chance to see the light reflected in his eyes spin around again. "Oh, pardon me…" he finally croaked, shoving his pic-axe into his tool-belt, hastily slapping his hands across his already dirty cargo-shorts, "No, I'm afraid not. I'm...just a fan, is all." He gave a half smirk and put a hand forward to initiate a shake. May bit and accepted. His hand was thoroughly calloused, but his shake was firm, interview appropriate.

Except, Pikachu was still acting strangely, and ran up to him, happily running circles around his feet.

"My Pikachu seems to think otherwise!" May quipped, suddenly embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Pikachu normally doesn't act like this with total strangers. Are you sure we haven't battled before? Or maybe I've competed against you in a contest?"

Pikachu gave an excited cry, to which the man obliged, "It's quite alright." He lowered himself to a squat again and rustled the top of Pikachu's head with his hand, giving it an aggressive but friendly rub. "But no, I'm afraid not. I don't get the chance to leave Kalos much these days. My name is Troy. I'm interested in rare stones, so I travel here and there, within my limits" he explained, introducing himself while he kept petting Pikachu. "Today my journey brought me here, but what about you?"

Even though Troy was being very welcoming, May was still uneasy. Pikachu was acting super friendly, and they literally just met this guy. She gave a half-smile back, "I'm traveling east. I'm trying to get to Anistar City. Can you help me?"

Troy took a sharp inhale. "I'm sorry you came in here thinking it was a through-way, then," he said, swinging his giant backpack off of his shoulders to the ground in front of him, crouching over it to start digging inside. "Let me pull out a map of Kalos for you."

May fidgeted awkwardly as Troy pulled out, unfolded, and fussed with the map before beginning to point, "See, Glittering Cave is a dead-end and is mostly only sought out for excavating," he explained, pointing to the area outside of Glittering Cave that May likely had thought would have been an exit east. He continued, "To get to where you're wanting to go, Anistar City, you'll need to-"

"-go back to Ambretta Town and head north before going east," May absent-mindedly cut him off.

Troy cleared his throat, "Ambr_ette_ Town. Common mistake, but Ambr_etta_ is the name of a person, and Ambr_ette_ is the town."

May felt her cheeks get hot. Thank goodness for the darkness of the cave. Never had she made such a rookie mistake with directions before! She chalked it up in her head to being too ambitious to explore instead of paying real attention to where she needed to go. "Oh gosh, thank you so much," she said, finding herself instinctively bowing. "If I hadn't run into you, I'd probably still be chasing circles in here!"

Troy waved a hand in front of himself in response, "No, no, don't worry about it. And…you're not originally from Hoenn, are you? Bowing isn't terribly common here in Kalos, either, so do be careful, alright?"

Now May was sure Troy could see how red her face must have been. It was like a loop of instinctive apology, that her body wanted to bow again, but she tried to lock herself into standing up straight. Bowing wasn't common in Hoenn, either, but it had still stuck with her somehow after all those years. "Uh, r-right, thank you." She nodded to Pikachu, to which the electric rodent responded cheerily, firing larger sparks from its cheeks. "We'd best be on our way, then."

"Oh, one more thing," he mentioned, stuffing the map back into his bag, "by the time you get back to Ambrette Town, it will be getting dark. There's a hotel there that you ought to check out. I'm sure it'll be a good change of pace from the Pokémon Centers you're used to, and there isn't hospitality quite like that of Kalos."

The advice made May's eyes twitch, briefly showcasing the shortest squint. "Thanks for the tip, Troy," she replied before turning to go back the way she came with her Pikachu. The idea of a hotel seemed nice. And hey, _"when in Kalos,"_ right?

"One single for one night, please," May asked at the counter, but after receiving her information, the receptionist already had a key ready for her.

"If your information is up to date, you're Miss May Maple, correct?" the receptionist replied, handing the key over the counter as May absent-mindedly nodded her head. "Your room has been covered already! You'll be in room 208, and you have a shared common area with three other rooms including a full kitchen and living room area. We hope you enjoy your stay with us!"

"Wait, hang on," May said, tentatively taking the key. "Who covered my room?"

"A gentleman called in about an hour ago. Said he knew you were coming and that he's a fan! It must be nice being champion and having fans, even in other regions!"

"Uh, y-yeah," May responded, her eyebrows knitting, but accepting the gesture all the same, "If he comes back here or calls again, give him my thanks."

"Will do. Have a good evening, Miss Maple!"

May left for her room on the second floor. She was trying her hardest to not feel weirded out about her room already being covered when she got to the hotel. The receptionist said it was covered by a fan…someone who _knew_ she was planning on staying at the hotel. She had half a mind to turn around and stay at the Pokémon Center instead because of it, from the idea of someone possibly spying on her activity. She'd barely interacted with anyone in Kalos so far, aside from asking for directions. In fact, the longest conversation she'd had so far was…with the man in Glittering Cave, Troy, who'd suggested to her to stay at the hotel in the first place. Was it him? He hardly looked like he had money to be throwing around on a hotel, let alone for another person's stay.

Her room was cozier than she had expected. A queen-sized bed with a crimson duvet, maroon walls, and a patio with a view of the beach and rocky cliffs. She quickly located the doors that led to the bathroom and the common area, and decided it was best for her to freshen up for the night before figuring out food. She'd gotten sweated up exploring Glittering Cave and figured she'd treat herself, since she was basically on vacation.

The bathroom was bigger than the one her parents had at home. There was a jacuzzi tub, and a spread of fancy oils and salts for baths! The fanciest bath May had ever had was in Fallarbor Town, and even then, that was a public bath, not with any additives to the water because it was a shared space.

So, she settled on a bath, turning on the faucet for hot water and sorted through all the salts and oils…and went with an Aguav and Lum Berry blend bath bomb. It was everything she needed and more, soaking her body and breathing in the steamy air.

After her bath, May shuffled through her bag to see what she had to make for dinner, and collected a few berries and other non-perishables she kept for the road and took them with her into the common area. The color scheme was the same varying shades of dark red, and the space wasn't much larger than her personal room, with a love seat, recliner, television, and a small but complete kitchen. She brought her belongings to the counter, set her Pokénav up with a radio app to listen to music, and began cooking.

"So, business or pleasure?" a voice asked from behind her. May took a pause from mincing berries to take a look to see who it was. And no doubt about it, there was no mistaking that striking silver-blue hair. It was Troy from before in the cave, but he was changed and cleaned up. Clothes were fairly similar to what he was wearing earlier, but it was something different.

May let go of a deep inhale after she saw who it was. "You're too kind, you know," she said, "for covering my room. Let me repay you somehow."

There it was again, that bizarre Stantler-in-the-headlights look she saw earlier, if just for a moment. He managed to snap out of it much quicker this time, though. "A taste of whatever you're prepping for tonight will be more than enough, then," he replied, a cheeky grin flashing his features, but long enough to warm May's ears.

"Fair," May said, "just a taste of my cooking is definitely a fair trade for my night's stay."

They both chuckled at this, but Troy reiterated. "You still didn't answer my question though. What brings you to Kalos? Business or pleasure?"

"Oh, uhm," May stuttered, going back to slicing the berries. Thinking about the answer to that question was weird, even though it didn't have to be. "It's…a little bit of both, I think?" she tried to answer, not even sure of it herself. "I think my task is business, but I think I'm supposed to see it as a vacation. I'm not super sure. But I'm using this opportunity to explore, anyway!"

May tried to continue chopping berries, but Troy's inquisitive look on her wouldn't let go and made her feel all that uneasiness again. "Sorry. It sounds kind of sketchy explaining it, but a businessman asked me to come find someone, for non-business related reasons, I think. Yeah, that just made it sound worse."

"Don't worry about it," Troy replied, deciding to take up a seat. Apparently there were bar stools on the other side of the counter island that May failed to notice. "I used to get assigned tasks like that at my last job. I'll warn you though, that was part of why I quit."

May blinked a few times. "Were you a paralegal?" she asked. "I hear paralegals get sent to do weird personal things for their firms all the time."

Troy chuckled. "That's pretty perceptive of you, but no. I was an _Assistant Project Manager_ for a company, or at least, that was my title, but I never really got to oversee anything. I was more of an _as needed_ kind of guy."

"An _as needed_ kind of guy, huh?" May repeated. The oil in her pan started to pop, so she started adding her chopped up berries so they could fry. She kept talking as she took care of her food. "What about you, then? I mean, I get that you're from Kalos, but folks don't typically just stay in hotels in their hometowns. Why are you here? Business or pleasure?"

Troy chuckled, stuffing a hand to dig into one of his pockets. "I'm not on business, but calling it pleasure doesn't seem quite right, either. I'm on an extended leave, doctor's orders, so I've been exploring about here and there."

"Oh, I'm sorry," May found herself saying, "I didn't mean to pry."

"No, no, it's quite alright. If anything, I don't mean to bore you with the silly details of my life. After all, _you're_ the Champion!"

That's right, she _was_ the champion. And Troy…was pretty cute. She couldn't help where her mind was going with how he stood there after saying that, ruffling the hair on the back of his head while still smiling at her. Her mom's words kept replaying in her head, _'When in Kalos_,' and she almost hated how cliché it was, and yet…

She fixed up their plates and set one in front of Troy on the counter and the other to his right, where she assumed there was another bar stool for her to sit next to him while they ate.

May quickly took a bite before Troy could finish saying "thanks for the meal." It had probably been so long since she had cooked last, and while she felt like she had an idea of what to do, she was still nervous at how her food turned out, and wanted to taste it before Troy had the chance. He looked at her blankly and blinked a few times, but soon followed her lead and dug in.

"Sorry," she quickly said after finishing her bite, "I just wanted to make sure that it turned out decent. It's been awhile since I've cooked."

Troy nodded, catching his lips with a napkin. "Well, it's certainly quite good, for someone who hasn't cooked in awhile. Best meal I've had in sometime, anyway."

"You need to learn to cook, then."

"I'm usually too distracted with excavating by the time I realize how hungry I am, so I just end up eating whatever I have on hand."

"Nonsense. If you have whatever on hand, you could learn to mix things up a bit. Don't you have a fire Pokémon that could help you out for when you're out and about?"

"I hadn't ever thought about it too much, I suppose. I've never been terribly interested in fire type Pokémon."

It was silent for awhile after that as they continued eating. May's heart rate sped up as she thought about what was going to happen next. She tried to snatch glances at him without making it too obvious. He _was_ incredibly cute, and in an adventurer, Pokémon-trainer sort of way. Could she even remember how to flirt? She tried to think of what to do or say before they would inevitably part ways.

"So, you said earlier that you were a fan?" she started, collecting their plates once they were through and bringing them back into the kitchen. "How did you hear about me?"

Her eyes quickly went back to him, to sum up his demeanor to see if anything changed when she asked him this. She was becoming hyper aware of her chances. His ears reddened. Her heart pittered. "Oh, we've got a network here that broadcasts all major League battles from all the regions. I've got Pokémon of my own, but I'm a bigger fan of spectating, and when I saw your first match with Sydney, I was pulling for you the whole time! The way you could always rely on your Mega Swampert in the end, it was incredible!"

She hadn't expected such a thorough response. It sounded like he really was a fan. Her hand subconsciously went to where her mega bracelet used to sit on her wrist, and Troy's eyes followed. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to bring up bad memories," he continued, after seeing her reaction, "It must be hard not having mega evolution anymore."

Still holding her wrist, May's eyes went up to meet his. "You even know about that?" she asked, her voice smaller this time. Was her business really so sought after?

Troy gave a sheepish grin in return. "You'd be surprised what constitutes news in this day and age, especially in regards to celebrities. But the champion in this region went through something similar, I believe, so that's part of why news of what happened to you carried over here so quickly."

_Oh gosh, that's right._ She remembered what her father told her now, the Champion in this region, _Calem_, that she should try to meet and find him if she got the chance. But he hadn't said more than just for her to go and meet the champion of another region who was close to her age.

No, but right now, she needed to stay on task. He still looked a little flushed, so she went for it. "Well, anyway," she said, and reached for his hand. His fingers were softer than she expected for someone she found excavating in a cave. She used her other hand to tuck her bangs behind her ear before saying, "I really appreciate your help with everything, Troy. Again, I'd still be lost in Glittering Cave had I not found you."

May hyper-analyzed how the rest of the evening unfolded. He gave her hand a light squeeze before quickly retracting his own, then said, "I could help you find him, if you want. Calem, Kalos' Champion, I mean."

He had deflected her intentions. Yeah, an offer of continued time spent together, so that wasn't necessarily bad, but for her to find someone else. But that someone else…could maybe help her with her situation? Still…it all made May uneasy. Or maybe it was her cooking. It had been awhile since she'd made anything over a flame.

"I think, that would be very helpful," she said, more quietly this time.

"Great," he replied, the intonation of his voice unreadable, "then I'll prepare a route for us. You'll want to get a good night's rest. We'll leave in the morning."

"Oh-okay," May replied, "goodnight then, Troy."

"Goodnight, May."


End file.
